A lawyer accused Police of ?dropping the ball? during the investigation into the murder of an American ex-convict in Supreme Court yesterday.

Lawyer Larry Scott, who appeared for murder accused Robert Blair Tucker, said detectives forgot on two occasions to ask whether his client wished to add, alter or correct anything in his written statements.

Mr. Scott also said Tucker, one of three men accused of killing New Yorker Stanley Lee on July 28, 2002 had sat through long interviews without breaks, including one that lasted until past one in the morning.

Tucker denies the crime, along with James Alan (Spook) Dill, 55, and Terranz (Monster) Smith, 35, which is alleged to have taken place at Lagoon Park, Dockyard.

Prosecutors alleged at the start of the trial that the trio had been involved with Mr. Lee in a drug deal that went bad. Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser said relations between Mr. Lee and Tucker, 36, turned sour after the American began to demand the return of the unsold drugs and of any money that had been made.

It was revealed yesterday that Mr. Lee ? who was known to New York State as Mr. Russells and to New York State Prisons as Eddie Montalvo ? had spoken on the phone with an acquaintance called Fred Douglas Brooks two days before he was killed and told him of the ?problems? he was coming across in Bermuda.

On the witness stand for his fourth day, Det. Sgt. Jerry Laws said Mr. Brooks said in a statement that he did not know what had happened to Mr. Lee after that.

Under questioning from Mr. Scott, Det. Sgt. Laws admitted that Police had ?missed? asking Tucker whether he wanted to add, alter or correct anything that had been said in the statement had given on two occasions.

Last week, the ten-woman, two-man jury heard as a statement was read out in which Tucker admitted repeatedly stabbing Mr. Lee after taking him there on the pretext of giving him some drugs.

?It is important to ask such a question. It was just missed,? said Det. Sgt. Laws yesterday, after admitting that the Police officers in the case had been ?tired? during the interview on August 14 following a series of long sessions with the defendant.

Mr. Scott also alleged Police officers had not formally arrested Tucker before they started asking him questions and also that he was not fully aware of his rights as a prisoner.

But Det. Sgt. Laws said Tucker had been arrested for the murder and also that he had been given a form detailing prisoners? rights when he had been arrested earlier in connection with another matter.

Earlier, Dill?s attorney Elizabeth Christopher suggested Police had held her client in custody in excess of the ?usual? time period in which Police are allowed to hold suspects without charge.

Last week, the officer said Police had been told by former Director of Public Prosecutions Khamisi Tokumbo to get permission to hold the suspects beyond five days, as long as their lawyers did not protest.

Asked if officers had ?deliberately decided? to evade normal guidelines, which state that suspects can be held for 72 hours without charge, Det. Sgt. Laws said: ?We did want to further interview them as we believed that we were close to the truth.

?Their lawyers knew they were in Police custody and they could have brought it to the attention of the Police to have them released.?

Ms Christopher suggested Police thought they could hold the suspects ?indefinitely? as long as their lawyers did not complain.

And it emerged that Smith, did not have a lawyer at that time, because Mr. Scott had said he did not wish to represent him any more.

The trial, which continues tomorrow, is being heard before Puisne Judge Norma Wade Miller. Smith is represented by lawyer Ed Bailey.