shotgun for less than $150, a court heard yesterday.

He was killed last month after a robber burst into the Philadelphia convenience store where he worked.

The ex-Policeman was living in the United States with his Bermudian wife, Dr.

Donna Pierre, and their young daughter. He was studying law.

But aged 37, he became one of 500 annual homicide victims in the "city of brotherly love''.

Yesterday a preliminary hearing in Philadelphia was told Mr. Pierre died from a gunshot wound to his neck.

Judge Earl Simmons ordered city resident Amir Cartair, 24, to stand trial for the murder. He could face the death penalty.

His former girlfriend, Michelle Heller, told the court she was working at the Dollar Value store when Cartair walked in with a shotgun.

"He told Anthony, the manager of the store, to get down. "Anthony was asking: `Why? What for? What do you want?' Then I heard a gunshot. Just one.'' Cartair told her: "Bitch, get up and open the cash register.'' She told the court: "I gave him the paper money and he asked me for the rest.'' The cash was "no more than $150''.

Heller added that about nine hours later Cartair showed up at her home, high on drugs.

"He said he didn't mean to do it. He said if I ever told anything he'd kill me.'' Heller, 21, admitted driving Cartair to pick up drugs the Saturday before the Monday murder, and afterwards.

But she did not ask him to come to the store the day of the killing, she said.

Shop customer Katherine Ridley told the court she heard a yell of "Oh God.

No.'' from Heller, and then a "pop'' from the shotgun. She was unable to identify the accused.

Cartair told Police the shooting was an accident. "I didn't mean to shoot him,'' he said. "I didn't know the gun was loaded.

"I heard a lady scream. I turned to look where the scream was and dropped the gun. It went off.'' He said he did not speak to Heller, but believed she put the cash on the counter after seeing the gun.

"The money was on the counter. I grabbed at it, but I didn't get any.'' He threw the gun in a field somewhere, he said. He added he did not know Mr.

Pierre.

After the hearing, Cartair's lawyer Ms Teresa Deni said she felt he had been high on drugs.

"It's my understanding he was extremely high for at least a week before he allegedly became involved in this.

"So I find it difficult to believe that he was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time he gave the statement, or at the time of the incident.'' But prosecutor Mr. David Desiderio said Ms Deni was making the claim, without evidence, so she could later try to reduce the degree of the murder.

"Mr. Pierre was a decent, honest, hard-working individual, who came to this country to make a better life for himself, and had it cut short by a person who, in a desperate act, comes into the store and blows him away.

"It's devastating. It's a horrible, horrible case. It's as bad as it gets.'' "He went in there with a shotgun and he intended to use it. This tells you he was not high. He was very proficient with the weapon.

"It was a callous, pre-meditated murder.'' Cartair was held without bail after Mr. Desiderio said he planned to seek the death penalty if the defendant was convicted of first degree murder.

He was not asked to plead guilty or innocent. It may be six months or a year before the trial is held.

Mr. Pierre was from Dominica. He served on the Bermuda Police force from 1979 to 1990, mainly in St. George's.

His mother-in-law is Mrs. Julia Durham of Crawl Hill.