An inquest has heard how a Pembroke man was "totally hot'' before getting on his bike and driving over a 20-foot embankment.

Larry Elsworth Burgess, 41, from Pembroke, died from extensive injuries after landing head first onto a concrete patio at Glenwood Park Crescent, Warwick on the evening of March 11 last year.

And yesterday Mr. Burgess's drinking partner, Maxwell Brangman, explained how the pair had gone on a drinking binge just before the tragedy.

"Because of the weather he decided not to go to work that day,'' Mr. Brangman said.

"We sat around and had a glass of wine and a cigarette. Then some people came by and played dominoes and draughts. While we were playing the games everyone had about five shots of rum and four shots of wine.

Mr. Brangman went on to say how he and Mr. Burgess visited another friend's house and drank a bottle of rum. It was then that Mr. Burgess asked his friend to go for a ride on his bike.

"I didn't want to go anywhere on the bike -- the weather was bad,'' Mr.

Brangman said.

"I knew I was hot and I knew he was hot and I couldn't stop him by talking to him. I would say that when Larry left me he was feeling nice and relaxed.'' An autopsy carried out on the body of Mr. Burgess showed there was nearly three times the amount of alcohol in his blood legally permitted to drive, as well as traces of cocaine.

After his drinking binge Mr. Burgess visited friend Terri Castle at her home on Glenwood Park Crescent, at the bottom of a steep embankment.

At yesterday's inquest Ms Castle explained how Mr. Burgess arrived at her house in a jovial mood and, while there, drank some more rum.

He then left to get a packet of cigarettes.

"He gave me a hug and we went outside,'' Ms Castle said.

"He started the bike and his helmet was on and the lights were on. I came back inside and had a short conversation with my daughter and then I heard a very loud crash.

"I went to the front door but saw nothing unusual and so peaked around the corner and saw the bike and the body lying on the concrete.'' A Police accident investigator also told the inquest how Mr. Burgess's cycle had an almost bald rear tyre and suggested that he had lost control of the vehicle while trying to negotiate a sharp right hand bend, shooting over the edge of the embankment and landing head first on Ms Castle's patio.

The inquest will resume this morning.