Only one witness testified yesterday in the trial of ex-Policeman Tony Bukhari who is accused of manslaughter.

In less than an hour on the stand, forensic toxicologist Will Hearn told the eight man, four woman Supreme Court jury that suicide victim Elizabeth Cadell had 1,239 milligrams of aspirin per litre of blood which he said was a "lethal concentration''.

She also had 22 milligrams of paracetamol -- known in North America as acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol -- per litre of blood.

He called this a "therapeutic'' amount which would have had a minor effect on Ms Cadell.

Dr. Hearn echoed his colleague, Dr. Valerie Rao, in describing the effect that much aspirin has on the human body.

He said once a lethal amount was ingested, and the patient was not given sodium bicarbonate, a blood transfusion or kidney dialysis, they would die of paralysis of the respiratory system.

He said he calculated that Ms Cadell took some 75 aspirin and five paracetamol pills.

The trial will continue on Monday before Assistant Justice Philip Storr. Crown Counsels Patrick Doherty and Larry Mussenden are prosecuting while Delroy Duncan is defending Bukhari.

He denies four charges of manslaughter as a result of his actions on May 31, 1997 after Ms Cadell informed him she had taken an overdose of aspirin.

Two relate to his duties as a serving Policeman and as a long-time boyfriend of Ms Cadell.

Bukhari also denies two charges relating to whether or not he failed to take "reasonable care'' in advising and then assisting her after she took the overdose.