Family members will have to wait until the end of the year, or perhaps even next year, to learn how Michael Eugene Burgess died.

Just hours into the inquest of 38-year-old Mr. Burgess, of Rosemont Avenue, Pembroke, Senior Coroner Will Francis adjourned the matter.

The move came after the lawyers representing the family -- Julian Hall and Kim Wilson -- told Mr. Francis they did not have sufficient time to review American pathologist Valerie Rau's statements. Ms Wilson added that she had only learned of the inquest on Tuesday morning.

Before the adjournment, the six-man, two-woman jury had heard how an emergency doctor and at least five other medical personnel fought valiantly for 40 minutes to save Mr. Burgess's life.

And they were told how an ambulance was dispatched to tend to Mr. Burgess an hour earlier, but returned without the ailing man.

Dr. Daniel Quarry told the jury that an ambulance was sent to the City of Hamilton around 4.30 a.m.

He said the ambulance returned to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after Mr. Burgess allegedly refused treatment.

"In situations where a person refuses treatment, you cannot force them,'' he explained. "Unless you can certify them mentally incompetent.'' A short time later, Dr. Quarry said, he received a call from Police asking him to go to Hamilton Police Station to attend to Mr. Burgess. "I could not go as I was the only doctor on duty,'' he explained. "I suggested that they either bring him in or call the Police doctor.'' Following a third call from Police, an ambulance was dispatched to Hamilton Police Station.

Dr. Quarry said Mr. Burgess arrived at the hospital around 5.31 a.m. in cardiac arrest.

"I was told by the crew that he was talking to them in the ambulance,'' he recalled. "As they approached the hospital they noticed a sudden deterioration in his condition.'' Mr. Burgess arrived, in leg and handcuffs, at the hospital with the ambulance attendants performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

"When I saw him in the resuscitation bay he was lying face down, his hands and ankles were in cuffs,'' he said. And Dr. Quarry said he noticed that Mr.

Burgess had a large bruise around his right eye and several abrasions on his face.

He said despite his and other medical personnel's efforts, Mr. Burgess was pronounced dead at 6.10 a.m. Government analyst Kevin Leask testified that he detected alcohol and drugs in Mr. Burgess' system.

Mr. Leask said he found 215 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of Mr.

Burgess' blood.

He also told the jury that cocaine was found in Mr. Burgess' bloodstream and that his stomach contained brown-paper and crack cocaine.

The inquest was adjourned until October 1 when dates will be set, possibly in December, for the rest of the 31 witnesses to testify.