The trial of a 37-year-old Appleby, Spurling and Kempe lawyer charged with causing the death of another man through dangerous driving began yesterday in Supreme Court.

Allan Morris, of Vermont Valley View, Smith's, has pleaded not guilty to causing Marvin Bean's death by driving a car in a manner that was dangerous to the public.

The incident is alleged to have occurred in the early hours of May 28, 1995 on Palmetto Road in Devonshire.

Police Constables Rafel Simons and Robin Hollinsid responded to a road traffic accident there at 2.20 a.m.. They were taken to where Mr. Bean was lying on the grass verge.

While P.c. Hollinsid monitored Mr. Bean who was alive but choking on his own blood, P.c. Simons went and spoke to Morris who was standing with his wife, Cynthia Thomas.

Morris stated that he was driving east past the child development centre at Tyne's Bay House when Bean appeared from nowhere. He said he panicked and swerved to avoid Bean but hit him.

P.c. Simons went back to P.c. Hollinsid who said Mr. Bean's pulse had grown weaker and the two officers began to administer cardio pulmonary resuscitation and continued until the ambulance arrived.

Mr. Bean was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Taxi driver Walter Simmons said he came upon the scene at 2.15 a.m. and noticed a car parked on the side of the road and a man standing in the middle of the road trying to flag him down.

Simmons stopped and the man told him he had just struck somebody with his car and needed help.

They went and looked at the injured man lying on the grass verge then Simmons radioed his dispatcher and asked her to call for help.

He went back to see if he could help the man but he was covered in blood and he did not think there was anything he could do.

Simmons then directed the traffic for the Police who had arrived on the scene.

Mechanic Stacey Simmons said he was on his way home at this time and turned onto Commissioner's Hill where he saw the light of a car tilt -- "as if it had driven up on the grass verge'' -- then straighten and stop.

He said he did not think anything of it and stopped his car so he could urinate in the bushes.

While there a taxi drove past him, he continued.

He then got back in his car and carried on his way. As he passed the scene, he asked if anyone needed help and was told "no'' so he carried on his way.

He later contacted Police and gave them a statement as to what he had seen.