confessed to attacking an old man with a wrench, Supreme Court heard yesterday.

After detectives insisted for "days on end'' that he was guilty, Watson just told them what they wanted to hear, said defence lawyer Mr. Tim Marshall.

Watson is undergoing his third trial for the premeditated murder of Wilbur Doe, 68, who died in 1989 after a coma caused by massive head injuries. Two earlier trials were inconclusive.

A "confession'' by Watson has been read out to the jury by Det. Ch. Insp.

Victor Richmond, who headed the hunt for Mr. Doe's attacker.

Mr. Marshall told him: "You were alleging for days on end that he was responsible for the assault, and he said: `If that's what you want to hear, here we go'.'' "No, I don't agree with that at all,'' said Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond. "He just didn't turn around all the information we had supplied him.

"There was a lot of information he revealed in his confession that we didn't know about, and therefore could not have put to him.'' He agreed that at first, Watson maintained he was innocent of the assault. But later, he said, Watson started changing his story whenever detectives found he was lying.

The court then heard how Watson, who had earlier been arrested and released, was arrested again on December 16, 1988. This was a week after Mr. Doe was found lying in a pool of blood at his cottage in McGall's Hill, Smith's Parish.

Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond admitted he could not recall Watson being given a chance to change his clothes between his re-arrest and the morning of his statement on December 18.

Watson was also not given the chance to have a bath or shower in that time, he said.

"You and your team of investigators treated Mr. Watson in a very indignant manner,'' said Mr. Marshall.

"He was treated no worse and no better than any other person who has to spend time in custody in Bermuda,'' replied Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond.

Earlier, the trial heard how Watson was put under surveillance before his second arrest. Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond said Police were suspicious of taxi trips Watson made to the back of town, and decided to search his home. They found a "small amount'' of cannabis, he said.

Det. Ch. Insp. Richmond denied the drug raid was a "back-door'' attempt to get Watson again.

He said that if Mr. Marshall made a similar trips to the St Monica's Mission area he would ask for a warrant to search his home too.

The trial continues.