The clothes a man was wearing when he allegedly robbed Roosters restaurant last winter figured prominently at his trial yesterday as three separate witnesses had him wearing different items.

Roger Eugene Lightbourn is charged with making off with the register and the approximately $700 that were in it after storming into the Court Street chicken shop during the early hours of January 28.

He and a second man, identified by Prosecutor Mr. Peter DeJulio as Kimani Fubler, were then alleged to have fled on a motorcycle down Dundonald Street, where their bike fell over twice after a pursuing taxi cut it off. Lightbourn has pleaded not guilty.

During the course of Lightbourn's trial, the clothing he was reportedly wearing before, during and after the robbery has been debated at length.

Mr. DeJulio has brought forward witnesses who testified that the robber was wearing a blue hooded jersey "with red under the armpits'' and that Lightbourn had on a "mustard-coloured jean suit.'' Lightbourn was wearing the jean suit when he was arrested behind Emmanuel Baptist Church on Dundonald Street. A hooded blue and red jersey was found nearby.

On Tuesday, however, defence lawyer Mr. Archie Warner tried to throw some doubt on Roosters cashier Kimberly Clark's testimony when he challenged her about the armpit area being red. The found jersey was blue with a red stripe across the neck and shoulders.

Yesterday, moreover, Mr. Warner tried to discredit arresting Officer P.c.

Colin Paynter, who claimed to have first spotted a fleeing Lightbourn behind the Little Lamb Nursery School and that the mustard of Lightbourn's jacket was "brown.'' Earlier in the day, short-order cook Charmaine Lightbourn testified that the person who robbed the shop had on a blue top with a hood over his head.

"He was about five feet-six inches tall and he took up the money bag and hit (Roosters manager) Miss (Rieo) Hollis in the head and said where is the money.

"Miss Hollis told him she did not have any money and then the man told her to come outside. When the man and Miss Hollis went towards the front, she turned around and ran back toward the kitchen area and he ran after her and I ran into the bathroom and stayed there until everything was quiet.'' Added Carla Darrell, a witness who was standing on the corner across from Roosters: "The taller man dragged (Hollis) outside and he had a stick in his hand. I don't know if he hit her but she was screaming for help.

"The man went back into the store and was shaking the cash register and then he came out carrying it. Fubler came out and ran to the bike. That is when the taxi came down the road. I told the taxi driver that two guys had robbed Roosters and he backed his taxi down and tried to knock them off the bike and they fell on the ground.'' Darrell said cab driver Eliston Bradshaw tried to retrieve the cash register by grabbing the shirt of the taller man, who fell and then fled behind the church with the register.

"Then the Police came and I told them where he had run and they must have caught him,'' Darrell added.

P.c. Paynter said he eventually found Lightbourn in a pump room with $660 in various denominations in his left front pocket and a $5 bill in the right hand pocket.

The trial continues before Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Meerabux today.