told untruths and was an unreliable witness, jury members were told yesterday.

The four-man, eight-woman jury will begin deciding their verdict on Madeiros today, the ninth day of his Supreme Court trial.

Madeiros denies stealing the cash from Davis while managing the finances of his Sleepy Hollow estate in Hamilton Parish.

He says the cash was a gift from Davis in return for his work.

Yesterday Madeiros' attorney Mr. Richard Hector summed up his defence to the jurors.

He said the trial is extremely important because it concerns allegations of dishonesty against a lawyer. Madeiros had practised in Bermuda for 37 years "without blemish''.

Davis' alcohol problem had left him deserted by everybody, he said. "The only person who took him on was Lawrence Madeiros.'' The jury had to be sure Davis did not offer Madeiros some property in return for his help.

There was evidence Davis could be generous and that he had hidden his affairs from others.

But Davis' testimony contained untruths like worms in an apple, Mr. Hector said. His evidence had shown he was confused and had a faulty memory.

"The issue here is whether you can believe Boyd Davis. That is the only issue. If you can't rely on the evidence of Boyd Davis there is no case.'' As for Davis' present financial position, he said Madeiros was not responsible for the effects of the recession or the later selling of lots for "ridiculously low'' prices.

Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ground, beginning his summing up, said Davis testified that Madeiros was like a spider at the centre of a web. But Davis could have been confused due to alcoholism.

He told the jury Madeiros had a "long credit in the community''. Real estate consultant David Summers, who prepared a plan for part of Sleepy Hollow, copied letters concerning Davis' affairs to "everybody''. Madeiros did not.

Mr. Justice Ground said he would sum up the "big issues'' in the case this morning, before the jury began their deliberations.