A drugs deal gone wrong may have led to the street battle which cost the life of a man who died of horrific stab wounds outside a Hamilton nightclub yesterday morning, it was revealed last night.

Now Police are understood to be probing a possible link between drugs and the violence which erupted outside Hamilton's Champions nightclub -- in which Jermaine Pitcher, 27, of St. David's, was fatally injured.

Mr. Pitcher -- known as Baby Red -- was declared dead on arrival at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Three other men -- according to sources, including Mr. Pitcher's half-brother Shane and Ryan (Tiger) Ball -- were also rushed to hospital.

Staff at the King Edward last night referred all questions on the men's conditions to Police -- who refused to comment.

The three -- all aged in their 20s, two from St. George's parish and one from Warwick -- were detained after the incident, which happened around 5 a.m.

Mr. Pitcher's father Ludlow Deshields, speaking from his home in Tennessee, said last night: "I still can't believe it.

"Shocked is not the word for it -- I still can't take it all in.'' Mr. Deshields -- who said the news was broken by one of his daughters in a telephone call -- said he was making arrangements to fly back to Bermuda as soon as possible.

He added he had seen Mr. Pitcher only two months ago on a trip to the Island -- and said his son had no involvement in drugs as far as he knew.

One eyewitness said that a large crowd gathered around a disturbance near the former Ambassador's Club on Reid Street East scattered in terror after a clash between two groups of men turned ugly.

The man -- who asked not to be named -- said that a grey car screeched to a halt outside the club and at least three men got out and clashed with others on the sidewalk.

He added: "It was like a war zone. I saw one guy with his hand up in the air with a machete -- whoever had it looked like he dropped it and somebody else picked it up and started to use it.

"When they were arguing there was a big commotion -- then the weapons came out and people just scattered.

"A lot of girls were panicking -- there was a lot of screaming and shouting.

"It was really ugly -- by that time the Police started to come. They came really quickly, but the guys in the car just sped off.

"It was horrible -- there was a lot of shoving and stuff and it just went from there.'' Mr. Pitcher was fined a total of $1,600 in August last year after admitting possessing half-a-gram of cannabis, resisting arrest and obstructing Police.

The court heard then that Police went to Clearwater Beach Park in St. David's after a tip-off that drugs were being sold.

Last night St. David's MP Arthur Pitcher condemned violence -- and an increasing trend towards drug-related violence, although he stressed he was not aware of the circumstances of the incident.

Mr. Pitcher -- a second cousin of the dead man -- said: "It wouldn't surprise me if it was drug-related.

"In Bermuda society, it isn't easy to see who is dealing or having some use of drugs.

"Put it this way, I can only be sure about myself, that's how things are.'' Man slain in vicious fight outside club Mr. Pitcher added: "I always would condemn violence.

"What's happening in today's society is that people are just not thinking -- they're just acting.

"And -- if your thinking is impaired by what you're doing, either using or involved in drugs -- you will just act without thought.'' Mr. Pitcher added: "I have sons of my own and I worry when they're not at home at night.

"Bermuda is not immune to violence. We might have advanced in some things, but we're going back in others -- care and love for each other is deteriorating.'' A Police spokesman said he had no information on whether the incident was drug-related and declined to comment further.

The spokesman added that the force's Major Incident Room had been opened and that Acting Supt. Carlton Adams was heading the murder probe.

He said: "We are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact us or use CrimeStoppers.'' The Major Incident Room can be contacted on 299-4315 and CrimeStoppers on 1-800-623-8477.