A security guard yesterday told a Supreme Court jury how -- on the day of his birthday -- a masked gunman tried to shoot him in the face.

"It looked to me like a .25 automatic,'' Gary Hunter said. "He made a motion like he was pulling the trigger and he seemed surprised that it didn't work.'' "Then he made a cocking motion as if he was trying to chamber another round,'' the 43-year-old continued.

"He pointed the gun at me a second time and pulled the trigger and it startled me.

"When the gun didn't fire a second time, he turned and went down the steps.'' Mr. Hunter took the stand in the fourth day of the Supreme Court trial of Rupert Elroy Archibald and Michael Eugene Dillas.

Both men -- represented by Archibald Warner and Victoria Pearman -- are charged with two counts of armed robbery, and carrying and using firearms in connection with the April 9 gang hold-up of the Bank of Bermuda's Somerset branch last year.

Mr. Hunter said he looked out the doors after the first gunman left and saw a man wearing a stocking over his face sitting on a motorbike in front of the bank.

The security guard then ran to the back of the building to call the Police.

But seconds later, three helmeted men burst into the bank.

"While I was in the rear of the building I heard the doors -- as if somebody had kicked on the doors. It was a loud noise,'' Mr. Hunter explained.

"There was a lot of shouting, and then there was a gunshot.'' Mr. Hunter said he moved a pregnant woman to the safety of a rear restroom and tried to radio for help. After failing to reach anyone, he phoned the Police.

"They said they had already received an alarm and were on their way,'' he said. "That's when I noticed that they (the robbers) were gone.'' And Mr. Hunter's account was supported by video images from the bank's seven security cameras played before the three-man, nine-woman jury yesterday.

The sequential still images clearly show the course of the robbery, but not the bandits' faces.

From the front door camera, the jurors saw a gunman in dark clothing and a visored helmet enter the bank and immediately point his weapon inches from Mr.

Hunter's face.

The threatened security guard is seen raising his hands in defence.

After the robber left, Mr. Hunter is then seen running to the back of the bank. But business continued as usual as both tellers and customers were apparently unaware of the imminent threat.

Seconds later, bystanders are seen scattering for cover as three men rushed through the main doors.

Two of the robbers -- one dressed in blue jeans, a yellow jacket, black gloves and a black helmet, and the other in black clothing and a black helmet -- were then seen vaulting the teller counter.

The third robber -- dressed in blue overalls, yellow gloves, and a blue helmet -- is seen waving a large gun and standing guard at the front door.

And as the robbers fled the building, an unsuspecting male customer entered the main door and appears to hold the door open.

Jurors watched the entire silent show of the heist from four different camera angles for roughly 40 minutes yesterday.

However, the actual robbery took place in just two minutes.

Before the video was shown, Mr. Warner questioned the authenticity of the video tape. He was especially concerned with a Police-produced selection of images taken from the original version.

Earlier in the trial a prosecution witness explained that the original tape contained images from all of seven operating cameras. However, the images were disjointed and shifted constantly from location to location.

Police later isolated only those cameras which focussed on the robbery and produced a video which consistently showed one scene.

Yesterday, the jury saw both the original and edited versions.

Ms Pearman also questioned witnesses about when the security tape was handed over to Police.

According to a scenes-of-crime officer, Mr. Hunter surrendered the tape at 3.10 p.m.

But Ms Pearman pointed out that the security guard was being interviewed for two hours from 2.50 the same afternoon.

Yesterday morning Sgt. Graham Alderson told the court he was one of the first officers on hand when Dillas and Archibald were found on the Riddell's Bay Golf Course.

Sgt. Alderson said both Archibald and Dillas had wet footwear and trousers.

He also told the court there were several armed officers at the site.

The trial continues today before Chief Justice Austin Ward. The Crown is represented by Patrick Doherty and Brian Calhoun.