The elderly woman who died after a savage beating at her home was found still alive and soaked in blood, a court heard yesterday.

Widow Beatrice Simons, 69, died five days after being viciously beaten -- allegedly during a burglary by two men around midnight on December 2, 1997.

And Policewoman Terrylynn Pringle yesterday described how the victim squeezed her hand and pleaded: "Please don't let me die.'' P.c. Pringle was one of the first officers on the scene at Mrs. Simons' home on Cochrane Road, Sandys Parish.

She told a Supreme Court murder trial yesterday: "I saw this lady sitting on the bed just covered -- face totally covered -- in blood.

"She had her left hand resting on the phone base and she had a deep gash on her right forearm.

"Blood was dripping from her face. It was all in her face, in her eye area.

"Her shirt, her pants, were just saturated. They were completely covered in blood. I thought she might have been stabbed.'' Michael Dean Eberly, 35, and Michael Brian Pitcher, 32, have admitted the break-in, but deny murder.

The pair -- neighbours of Mrs. Simons on Victoria Row, Ireland Island -- have each blamed the other for the beating.

Crown counsel Peter Eccles, prosecuting, has said the murder weapon was a two-inch-thick chunk of cedar wood, similar to a chair leg or bannister rail.

And P.c. Pringle said yesterday that Mrs. Simons told her she woke up to find a man beating her.

She also said the victim claimed to have told her attacker there was money downstairs "in a pouch''.

The Policewoman, on the scene minutes after the attack, added: "She said that she knelt down on the floor and she prayed to God not to let her die.

"She was squeezing my hand and she was saying to me: `Don't let me die.

Please don't let me die'.'' She confirmed to lawyer Mark Pettingill, representing Eberly, that Mrs. Simons mentioned just one attacker.

And P.c. Pringle told Saul Froomkin, representing Pitcher, that there may have been enough light in the bedroom for Mrs. Simons to make a description.

But the officer said the victim was unable to identify her attacker.

Sgt. Leroy Haynes, who led P.c. Pringle into the bedroom, told yesterday's hearing: "The floor was covered in a pool of blood.

"There was also a chest of drawers covered in lots of blood and flesh tissue.'' Paramedic Patrice Patterson described how Mrs. Simons told her she thought she was having a bad dream when she woke up during the beating.

But she told Mr. Froomkin the victim recorded a maximum medical reading for being conscious, alert and responsive straight after the attack.

Mrs. Simons' son Joe Santos, who had his evidence read in, said his mother was often awoken during the night by anonymous telephone calls.

And his wife Sally-Ann also said in a statement that Mrs. Simons was "apologetic'' when the couple rushed to her house to help.

Hospital emergency room director Dr. Ed Schultz, already the tenth prosecution witness, said Mrs. Simons was examined at 2 a.m. and was transferred to a general ward around three hours later.

Cross-examined by Mr. Froomkin, he said: "The patient appeared to be stable and not have life-threatening injuries at that time.'' The case continues.

COURTS CTS