with burn marks, fractured bones and a blood clot in her eye -- was adjourned yesterday for a month so the father could secure and properly brief a lawyer.

"Clearly, fingers are now pointing at Mr. (Daniel) Cann in a very accusing way,'' Coroner the Wor. Will Francis said in granting the adjournment.

Mr. Francis told the nine jurors the matter was proving very serious and he must be seen to have acted fairly.

Doctors have testified it was unlikely Cannice Joann White's death was accidental.

Three doctors, including Miami pathologist Dr. Valerie Rao, attributed it to "shaken-baby syndrome'', which occurred, they said, when a baby was violently shaken.

Mr. Cann, who was in Magistrates' Court both days of the inquest flanked by his eldest daughter and other relatives, suddenly rose on Wednesday to ask for time to hire a lawyer.

He said he was starting to feel like he was the "so-called prime suspect''.

But Crown counsel Mr. Mark Pettingill told Mr. Cann he was not on trial and had not been accused of any crime.

However, Mr. Francis decided to grant Mr. Cann's request.

He was accompanied by lawyer Mr. Michael Scott yesterday, but before any more witnesses could be called, Mr. Scott requested a further adjournment so his client could secure the services of his first-choice lawyer, Mr. Delroy Duncan, and fully brief him.

Mr. Pettingill repeated that Mr. Cann was not on trial and said since he had a lawyer present, the inquest should proceed.

After about an hour's recess, Mr. Francis again ruled in favour of Mr. Cann and adjourned the hearing until December 14.

In the two full day's of testimony so far, jurors have heard Mr. Cann brought Cannice to hospital last May with chest and hand burns, leg fractures, body bruises and no pulse.

Cannice was pronounced brain-dead later that day after suffering respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Her mother, 26-year-old American Ms Darlene White of Indiana, had brought her to Bermuda to visit her father.

When the inquest is over, the jury could reach an open verdict or verdicts of accidental death, manslaughter or murder.

In the event of one of the latter two verdicts being rendered, the jury could name the person or persons they think were responsible.