A Colorado teenager charged in the brutal slaying of 23-year-old Bermudian Latanya Lavallais had earlier that day called a friend to borrow his 25-calibre handgun -- the same gun used in the murder -- Chief Deputy District Attorney Henry Cooper yesterday told a Denver District Court.

In day one of the first-degree murder trial of 16-year-old Jennifer Tombs, Mr.

Cooper told Denver District Court Judge Warren Martin that Tombs borrowed and later flaunted the murder weapon before five friends gathered at her home the night of September 27 last year.

After emptying its six-bullet clip into Ms Lavallais' head, Tombs tried to dispose of the gun in a sewer about four houses away in Denver's Montebello district, he said. The gun was subsequently found by Police and ballistics tests confirmed it to be the murder weapon.

The Prosecution's first witness, 15-year-old Tiffany Lofton, yesterday testified she and four male friends were gathered in an upstairs room of the Tombs home when they heard what sounded like gunshots. She also told the Court Tombs had earlier shown her a handgun.

Later that night she testified, Tombs woke her to say there was a dead body in a downstairs room. Tombs, "all dressed-up in a suit,'' at times broke into tears during the Prosecution's opening statements, Mr. Cooper told The Royal Gazette .

In addition to extensive DNA evidence, the State plans to call about 20 witnesses including the owner of the handgun, he said.

The trial -- which has been largely overshadowed by the Oklahoma City bombing trial also playing out in Denver -- is expected to last about one week, said Mr. Cooper.

Tombs was on probation for car theft when it is alleged she gunned down Ms Lavallais, the daughter of Valeria Vermont (nee Cox), formerly of Bermuda. Ms Lavallais had gone to the Tombs house to babysit the girl -- who was at the time electronically tagged and under house arrest.

BERMUDIAN BDA