Sonesta Beach vice-president Dennis Tucker yesterday admitted that he never read the hotel's insurance policy, which was signed in 1996.

The admission came during Mr. Tucker's testimony in the Supreme Court civil suit file by his former boss against an insurance company.

Mr. Tucker was the last plaintiff witness in the civil trial involving former Sonesta Beach executive David Boyd and Colonial Insurance.

Mr. Boyd, the one-time president and managing director of the hotel who now lives in North Carolina, left his job due to chronic pain nearly two years ago. He has brought an action against Colonial which has denied him disability compensation.

At issue is whether a June 1996 amendment clause to the hotel's insurance policy covers pre-existing medical conditions on long-term disability.

Yesterday, Mr. Tucker told the court that he sat in on a number of meetings in 1995 with a representative from Colonial in which he aired his concerns regarding long-term disability and pre-existing conditions.

"He gave us his assurance that all pre-existing conditions would be wavered and all participants would be covered from the date the policy was signed,'' Mr. Tucker said. "(It was) of importance to me because I have a pre-existing condition.'' During cross examination by lawyer Saul Froomkin, Mr. Tucker admitted that he did not have any notes recording his conversations with the Colonial representative.

And he admitted that, to date, he has not looked at the full Colonial policy for Sonesta.

"I rely on what was printed in the employee booklet and what was said to us in discussions,'' Mr. Tucker said.

He also said that he was not directly involved in the policy negotiations with Colonial.

The case will continue before Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux.