Declaring that he wanted to tell the truth, Lagoon Park murder accused James (Spook) Dill pointed the finger ? literally and figuratively ? at co-accused Robert Blair Tucker when he testified in court yesterday.

Dill was steadfast in denying any knowledge that victim Stanley Lee was about to be murdered ? despite having taken a knife to the scene ? and said if he had known, he would not have accompanied his casual employer that fateful day.

The first Bermudian to earn a rating by the world chess governing body, FIDE, in 1983, Dill, 55, was quick to match wits with defence lawyer Larry Scott but faltered when asked to describe what it was like to use the drug or even how to kick it.

But the trial took a more dramatic turn with Dill's allegation that Tucker had been influencing his decision-making while in custody.

Speaking gently but forcefully in his own defence, Dill said Tucker stabbed Mr. Lee in the late afternoon of July 28, 2001.

Dill, Tucker and Terranz (Monster) Smith deny killing Mr. Lee in the isolated park on Ireland Island South over a shipment of bad drugs.

"Today I'm telling the truth," Dill told his lawyer Liz Christopher. "I had no knowledge of Tucker's intentions that day. If I did, I would be at his house, waiting for him 'cause I would never have taken that trip.

"The cops left out or rearranged so much of my statements, but, yes, I signed them, but I didn't know what they were writing. I didn't know they were writing them that way."

Later he said: "You know, I think it was on the morning of the 16th that I was finally able to get a lawyer ? they had been telling me they couldn't get Mr. (Larry) Scott. When he finally gave me your number, Ms Christopher, and the moment I got you, I heard (Det. Sgt. Ronald) Green say to Det. Sgt. David Greenidge 'Oh s**t, we're not going to get any answers now!'.

"I talked to you and after that I made all no comments in my statements. Before that, they were doing things that were just shocking. When he would read it back to me, it would sound legit, but at the time I just wanted to get out of there.

"With me knowing that I had nothing to do with this guy's death, I would say, 'yeah' to some of the off the wall stuff. I don't know where he (Green) was getting some of this stuff. But some of it, some of it, could only have come from one person ? Blair Tucker.

"Blair Tucker and I have had many conversations at Westgate about what to say and how to put it. I figured he had more education ? even written notes and letters," he said, explaining that for much of the past two and a half years he did not get to see Tucker.

"These notes I stored up and I passed them on to you about 18 months after I was incarcerated," he said. "I was feeling that from what he was telling me to say and do. For instance, the times when you would come and visit, he would want to know what you said and when his lawyer would come, there would be nothing (forthcoming from Tucker). I was looking like a fool!

"I'm telling him everything, yeah, and I'd ask him a simple question, and (I'm getting) nothing. Nothing! So I just put it all together, and said this guy is trying to railroad me. So, I'm going to get up there and tell the truth.

"Six months ago, I made up my mind that I'm going to tell the truth because he was telling me about, 'look, they don't have any evidence' and things like that. I had even given my statements to him, and when I finally got a look at his statements and see he's told the man (Police) exactly what happened.

"I'm saying what does he want me to do? So from there, I made up my mind to just come up here, and tell the truth."

To Mr. Bailey, Dill said: "Yes, I never saw Terranz Smith on the 28th and in my view, Terranz had nothing to do with this ? not that day anyway. I never saw Terranz at Lagoon Park. No, Terranz Smith was never at Lagoon Park."

Jurors watched intently as the well-spoken Dill described his drug habit, describing his need for a shower when arrested "because of that crack house smell" and "I was destitute, Mr. Scott. If I had any money, I wouldn't have gone to Blair's house, I would have gone to a crack house. If I'd had $5 that day, it was for a $5 hit".

Dill continued: "How did coke affect me? Well, I never had money, I never had a fixed abode, a lot of things, essentially, you don't have when you're on coke.

"Mentally? I guess I was all right, because when I didn't have the sources to get it I had the mentality to get it. You've got to be careful there, Mr. Scott, 'cause I never stole a purse or anything, I worked, I hustled. I washed cars. Yes, I was industrious."

When Mr. Scott challenged Dill on whether he understood what was happening shortly after his arrest, he said although he had just smoked crack, it was not unreasonable for a person to follow what is going on, adding: "Just because I got high, that doesn't mean I can't remember that I had bacon and eggs for breakfast the day before.

"I've been trying to explain the effect of (using) cocaine for a very long time, a very long time. I just can't explain (the cocaine high)."

"Let me show you something Mr. Scott. Mr. Tucker had everything to do with this," Dill concluded. "Mr. Tucker knew what he wanted to do, he knew what he was doing, I was at the tail end.

"Unless he's got a twin, it was him (who stabbed Mr. Lee). You say I never saw him stab him, Mr. Scott?" he said, pointing at Tucker. "If it wasn't him, it was a twin."