The emergency medical technician who treated an erratic Michael Burgess claimed yesterrday that a Police officer struck the ailing man.

And the EMT called the officer's demeanour "sick'' when the detective raised his fists in "victory'' after restraining Mr. Burgess.

The allegation was heard during the Coroner's inquest into Mr. Burgess' sudden death on May 27, 1996.

The six-man, two-woman jury yesterday heard that EMTs Irving Simmons and Charles Mahon were sent to the junction of Front Street and Par-La-Ville Road after a 4.33 a.m. call regarding an erratic man.

Upon arrival, Mr. Simmons said he conducted an assessment of Mr. Burgess, 38, who was lying on the ground.

He said Mr. Burgess smelled of alcohol and urine and admitted he had been drinking.

"When I saw him I had no idea what his condition was or what he was suffering from,'' Mr. Simmons explained. "I thought he may have been suffering from diabetes. The strong smell of alcohol and urine combined with the erratic behaviour could signal hypoglycemia.

"I didn't see or hear anything to make me think he was on cocaine. ..I had asked him if he had taken anything else and he said no.'' He added: "Nothing in my training or experience had made me aware of this condition: cocaine induced psychosis.'' On Monday, American pathologist Dr. Valerie Rao said Mr. Burgess, of Rosemont Avenue, Pembroke, died of cocaine induced psychosis stemming from a mixture of cocaine and alcohol.

She also said victims suffering from the condition should be transferred immediately to a hospital where their respiration should be monitored.

Yesterday, Mr. Simmons said EMT's had only "very basic'' training in drug abuse.

"My job as an EMT is not to diagnose,'' he said. "I can only do certain tests in the field and advise. I did advise that he needed medical assistance since I didn't know what was wrong with him.'' Mr. Simmons said Mr. Burgess agreed to go to the hospital but when he and the Police attempted to assist him to the ambulance he became violent and tried to flee.

He said officers restrained Mr. Burgess and struggled to place the kicking and screaming man into an unmarked Police car.

"My job is to assist the Police who had full custody of him from the get go,'' he pointed out. "He was in handcuffs.'' It was while officers were trying to restrain Mr. Burgess that Det. Con. David Abraham allegedly struck the volatile man.

Although he admitted that he never saw an "unprofessional'' Det. Con.

Abraham's fist actually connect with Mr. Burgess' face, Mr. Simmons insisted it occurred.

"I based my statement on the angle he raised his fist, the velocity he brought it down and the impact sound,'' he testified. "I clearly recall the sound of impact. I'm 150 percent sure. I have a brown belt in karate. I know the sound of a fist hitting a face.'' After Mr. Burgess was placed in the car, Mr. Simmons said Det. Con. Abraham had his fist in the air " as if in victory'' and cried `yeah, yeah'.

"In my opinion I thought Det. Con. Abraham's demeanour was sick because I didn't understand what the victory was.'' He added that as he left the Police car, he heard what he believed was a second blow.

Mr. Simmons also told Senior Coroner Will Francis that he went to Hamilton Police Station about 45 minutes later to collect Mr. Burgess from a prison cell.

Mr. Burgess, who had a lower than normal respiration rate but a steady pulse, was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital still wearing hand and ankle cuffs.

As the ambulance parked he stopped breathing.

The inquest continues this morning.