British cop Tony Bukhari -- already under investigation in his girlfriend's suicide -- admitted to a senior detective he was "negligent'' but denied killing her.

Det. Con. Terrance Maxwell said Bukhari told him "I admit I was negligent, but I didn't kill her'' as the pair talked 12 days after Elizabeth Cadell took a large quantity of aspirin pills and died on May 31, 1997.

And in a statement to Police that day, Bukhari detailed his actions up until about 3 p.m. when he returned from a jog and found his live-in girlfriend of seven years dead.

The Supreme Court jury also heard yesterday from Bukhari's current girlfriend, Catherine Brewer, who said that by her "fairest recollection'' he left her apartment on May 31 at around 3.30 a.m.

Ms Cadell, originally from Newbury, Berkshire, was a Royal Gazette sub-editor.

Bukhari is facing two charges of manslaughter which are related to his duties as a serving Policeman and a long-time boyfriend of Ms Cadell.

He has also denied two charges relating to whether or not he failed to take "reasonable care'' in advising and then assisting her after she took the overdose.

Yesterday Det. Con. Maxwell said he was walking between buildings at Police Headquarters in Prospect on June 11, 1997 when Bukhari drove up to him and started a conversation.

He said Bukhari mistakenly believed he was part of the investigation and said to him "I know you will be interviewing about her death''.

"I said to him are you all right? He said `yeah, it's her sister, she's being a right b***h','' Det. Con. Maxwell said, while under questioning by Crown Counsel Patrick Doherty.

"I said to him, if you haven't done anything, you have nothing to fear from idle gossip -- I mean, did you kill her?'' Det. Con. Maxwell added.

"Mr. Bukhari replied `no, I admit I was negligent, but I didn't kill her'.'' Det. Con. Maxwell broke away from the conversation when another officer approached and went to an investigating officer to make a statement on what he had been told.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Delroy Duncan, the detective said he did not know why Bukhari was not confronted with the contents of his statement when he was interviewed.

And he strongly denied Mr. Duncan's suggestion that Bukhari never admitted negligence.

Det. Ch. Insp. Carlton Adams read in Bukhari's statement of May 31 and an interview with him from June 18.

In the statement, Bukhari said he worked until midnight as acting Sergeant at St. George's Police Station and then had drinks with Ms Brewer and friends at the Swizzle Inn until it closed at 1 a.m.

Policeman's trial He re-joined Ms Brewer at her apartment and drank beer and talked with her before leaving before 4.30 a.m.

Bukhari told the investigators that when he returned home he found a handwritten note, read it, then crumpled it and threw it away, remembering only that it asked him to say goodbye to a stuffed animal the couple owned.

The couple argued after he confronted her about the "stupid'' letter and Ms Cadell went for a ride on her cycle for a short time.

Bukhari said he awoke after 11 a.m. with Ms Cadell telling him she had done something "stupid'' by "taking a lot of aspirin'' around 8.30 a.m.

He suggested she take salt water to induce vomiting and she repeatedly told him she was fine before he went out for over an hour on a jog.

In the interview Bukhari said he did not remember receiving three pages between 12.51 a.m. and 2.46 a.m. that morning, nor calling his Harvey Hill Road home in response.

Bukhari admitted taking 150 aspirin pills was "potentially life threatening'' but said Ms Cadell kept saying she was "fine''.

He answered "perhaps'' when asked if the public, expecting an officer to protect life, would not think he had done his duty.

He called a suggestion that he did not offer "positive action'' because he might benefit from Ms Cadell's will "utter rubbish''.

When confronted with medical opinion that Ms Cadell would have been dead for between six and 12 hours by the time Police were called, Bukhari said: "I stay 100 percent behind my statement.

"I'm willing to take a polygraph,'' he added. "He's (the medical examiner) trying to say I made love to a corpse. I was home by the time I stated.'' Ch. Insp. Sinclair White said he conducted Bukhari's localisation course in 1990, which included a lifesaving and first aid component.

Ch. Insp. White said Bukhari -- who got 71 percent on his tests -- would have been taught to call an ambulance and not induce vomiting for a poisoning victim.

The trial continues today.