The star witness in the Supreme Court robbery trial denied being influenced by her mother's statement and Police in identifying Kenneth Eugene Richardson for a May 18, 2000 handbag snatching.

A lengthy cross examination of the victim's daughter, Patricia Rick by Richardson's lawyer Victoria Pearman centred around the question that she may have been influenced by Police to make an identification of her assailant.

It is alleged that Alice Fiorani, who was visiting the Island from North Carolina last year, had her handbag snatched.

Thirty-six-year-old Richardson, of no fixed abode, denies the charge before the seven women five men jury.

Yesterday several senior Police officers investigating the crime took the stand to testify about the events surrounding that night and the days immediately following.

It was revealed that two days after the crime occurred and after Ms Rick identified Richardson in a Police 'mug shot', a search warrant was issued for him.

Det. Con. Adrian Cook and Acting Det. Sgt. Stephanie Thompson took the stand and told the court they and several other officers attended a house in Middletown. They arrested Richardson after he tried to make his getaway through a bathroom window.

They noted that they were successful because of an identification made by Ms Rick from a photo line up of suspects.

Earlier this week, victims Mrs. Fiorani and Ms Rick, told Assistant Justice Charles-Etta Simmons, about a violent struggle with their attacker in the driveway of the Rosedon Hotel, resulting in the attacker pulling a knife on the two visitors.

During the struggle both women said in their testimony that the assailant spoke the words "just let it go" before he cut the straps of the handbag with the knife and ran off.

And Ms Rick told the court in her testimony she was able to positively identify her assailant from a Police line up two days later, with the aid of hearing his voice - which she described as "soft spoken almost polite".

But under cross examination of Ms Rick, Ms Pearman focused on the fact she may have been "influenced" by the officers involved in the case to make an identification of Richardson.

And she used Ms Rick's earlier testimony, that she did not actually see a knife being held by the attacker, as an example.

Ms Pearman said: "I will put it to you that you allowed your recollection to be influenced by talking to your mother."

"No, my mother did not see his face at any time - she only saw his hands," Ms. Rick said.

Ms Pearman asked: "You did discuss the overall incident with your mother?

"Yes," Ms Rick replied.

Ms Pearman asked: "And it was your evidence that you never saw the assailant holding a knife?"

"If there was a knife involved, I never saw a blade," Ms Rick said. "I only saw him holding something in his hand, I know he was holding something, I don't recall saying what - but that would have been a composite statement of what my mother told me and what she told the Police.

"She told the detective that when I was there - and I just put two and two together that that was what was in his hand."

Ms Pearman said: "I'm going to suggest to you that that's an example of being influenced with out even being aware of it."

Ms Rick paused and said: "Yes - in this particular case."

"And I'm suggesting that's the same way you were influenced by the photographs," Ms Pearman said.

"Absolutely not," Ms Rick said.

And in an emotional plea before the jury, she said: "I have never been involved with the Police in any way before. I have never been involved in a court room before. I have never been through anything like this before.

The Crown rested its case against Richardson and the case continues today, with witnesses for the defence taking the stand.