buying the defunct Lantana Colony Club at Somerset.

And a spokesman said yesterday James. M. Dwyer Real Estate Investment and Development was already looking at another property on the Island.

As well as resort hotels on the American east coast, the Jersey-based firm owns the White Sands hotel in Paget and in July vowed to pursue more local property after it failed in a bid to buy the Belmont Hotel.

The spokesman said the company's "game plan'' was to overhaul and then sell each of the units in the Lantana development -- which shut down suddenly at the peak of holiday trade in July.

The sale is expected to be finalised in 120 days.

MURDER TRIAL BEGINS TODAY MUR CTS Murder trial begins today The trial of a man accused of the murder of a Canadian teenager is due to start today.

Justis Smith, 18, is set to appear in the Supreme Court on a charge of murdering 17-year-old Rebecca Middleton.

His defence team consists of Archibald Warner, Elizabeth Christopher and John Perry QC, from England.

Solicitor General William Pearce QC and Sandra Bacchus will represent the Crown.

Ms Middleton was found murdered at Ferry Reach, St. George's in July 1996.

A second man, Kirk Mundy, 23, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

The Attorney General lost an appeal to the Privy Council in London to have Mundy face a murder charge, because he had already admitted being an accessory to the crime.

POLICE PROBE ATTACK ON MAN CRM Police probe attack on man A man was violently mugged in Devonshire as he left a bar in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The 29-year-old told Police four men attacked him as he left the Anchorage Bar on North Shore Road and was walking to his cycle at around 1 a.m.

The men grabbed him, pushed him down a flight of stairs then ransacked his pockets as he lay on the ground -- taking his wallet and keys. After the bandits made off, the victim returned to the bar to call Police and only later discovered his cycle had been stolen from the car park.

He was taken to hospital with a cut on his head.

Police appealed for anyone with information to telephone 295-0011.

ROWDY PATRON ON RAMPAGE CRM Rowdy patron on rampage A rowdy patron punched a St. George's bar manager in the face yesterday morning and was then involved in a violent struggle with Police.

The bar man was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he received a number of stitches to close a cut lip.

Police were called to the 2 a.m. incident at Ronnie's Bar on Water Street after the manager tried to intervene in a scuffle between two customers.

When one of the customers -- a 30-year-old male -- was asked to leave he allegedly turned to the manager and assaulted him.

Police said the offender was arrested soon afterward and taken to St. George's Police station.