the teenager before she disappeared off with two men on a motorcycle.

The Supreme Court heard Jasmine Meens describe how she saw Miss Middleton get on a bike and speed off into the night -- the last time she saw her alive.

A short time later, the 17-year-old holidaymaker was found dead on Ferry Road, after a brutal sexual assault and stabbing.

The two girls had accepted lifts home -- after first refusing the offers -- on separate motorcycles after three taxis failed to appear at the address at Mullet Bay Road, St. George's.

Miss Meens got on a bike with Dean Lottimore and it is claimed by the Crown that Miss Middleton got on a bike with Justis Smith and Kirk Mundy.

"We did decide to get a ride with them. Rebecca got on the bike with two men, I got on the other bike with Dean Lottimore,'' she said.

And later, under re-examination from Crown counsel Sandra Bacchus, who asked why she had got on one bike and Rebecca the other, she added: "I was stood closer to Dean Lottimore, so I said you go on that bike, she was closer to that bike.'' Miss Bacchus then asked her why she told her to go on that bike, she replied: "I don't know.'' Miss Meens, 21, who lives in Belleville, Ontario, the home town of Rebecca Middleton, was testifying at the trial of Justis Smith.

Smith, 19, has pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder on July 3, 1996.

Rebecca Middleton was spending a summer holiday with Miss Meens -- whom she had known for six years -- at her father Rick's home in Town Hill Road, Smith's, when she was murdered.

The jury heard her describe how they had spent the night with friends in the White Horse tavern on July 2, consumed several drinks each and then gone to the home of a friend, Jonathan Cassidy, on Mullet Bay Road.

Phone records show three calls to taxi firms at 1.08 a.m., 1.45 a.m and 2.16 a.m. -- none of which arrived.

As they waited outside the home, Mr. Lottimore rode up on his bike and after a short conversation another bike arrived with two men on it.

Later during the trial, Mr. Lottimore stated the two men were Kirk Mundy and Justis Smith.

Miss Meens, under examination from Crown counsel Sandra Bacchus, said: "They talked to us and asked us what we were doing, we said we were waiting for a cab,'' she said. "The pillion passenger got off, he was talking to Rebecca Middleton. They hugged and she showed him the necklace she was wearing, he looked at it.

"They asked where we were going and if we wanted a ride with them. We refused.'' Defence counsel Archibald Warner alleged that Miss Middleton was fairly drunk and that Miss Meens' judgment was impaired -- claims which were refuted.

Desperate search for teen "By the time Dean Lottimore and the other two arrived, you were concerned about Rebecca Middleton's behaviour because of the alcohol,'' said Mr. Warner.

"No,'' replied Miss Meens.

And he said that Miss Middleton had hugged one of the men on the bike together after meeting them for the first time, and that Miss Meens was concerned about that.

"It was odd but it didn't concern me,'' she said.

Mr. Warner said the girls had flagged Dean Lottimore down, which Mr. Lottimore later confirmed.

And he claimed that the offer of a lift was only made once and that Miss Middleton immediately jumped on the bike.

"She wasn't in a hurry to get on the bike,'' said Miss Meens.

Mr. Warner also alleged that Miss Middleton had never shown her necklace to the man on the back of the bike -- a claim Miss Meens refuted.

Miss Meens and Mr. Lottimore pulled off on the motorcycle, after the bike carrying Miss Middleton and the two men had already left.

"We pulled off after, I looked behind me and looked in front -- they were gone,'' said Miss Meens.

On arriving home she waited at the bottom of the road with Mr. Lottimore for Miss Middleton to arrive, but said: "I was completely sober, I kinda thought something might have happened.'' She discovered her friend was not already at home and raised her father to go and look for her.

Mr. Lottimore, under examination by Solicitor General William Pearce, said he saw Miss Middleton get on to the bike, between the two men.

Mr. Pearce asked: "Do you have recollection of who was the driver of the bike?'' "Yes, Kirk Mundy,'' he said.

"Do you have recollection of who was the passenger?'' asked Mr. Pearce.

"Yes, Justis Smith,'' replied Mr. Lottimore.

The witness admitted he was drunk at the time and said he didn't recall seeing the bike with the three people on it after the first bend.

He described how Miss Meens reacted when they arrived back to find Miss Middleton was not there.

"She got panicky, she looked frightened,'' he said. "I was trying to keep her calm. As much as she was responsible, I was responsible too.'' He then went to look for Miss Middleton and after a search, came across her body at Ferry Reach.

After trying to find a pulse, he shouted at her to see if she reacted, before ensuring with other bystanders that the emergency services had been called.