the young construction worker under his wing and found him to be hard working and trustworthy.

Freddie Thomas, who made Watson foreman of a site above the Bermuda Pharmacy, let him live in an apartment at his home and helped him save his wages.

And he rewarded Watson for his hard work with a trip to New Orleans, Supreme Court heard.

Watson is on trial for the murder of Wilbur Doe, 68, who was the pharmacy's assistant manager when he was found with serious head injuries on December 9, 1988. He died after nearly nine months in a coma.

Thomas, of Broken Hill Road, Smith's Parish, told the trial Doe had been a "pain in the butt'' during work at the site, complaining about sand spilling out of buckets.

"He took it upon himself to come out and poke into what was going on upstairs,'' said Thomas. "He was meddling into something that didn't concern him.'' Earlier in the trial the court was read an alleged confession by Watson, in which he said he had wanted Doe to stop "tormenting'' Thomas.

But Thomas told the court yesterday that he had known Doe for about 10 years.

"Even though he was a nuisance at times, I could handle him,'' he said. He never saw any animosity between Doe and Watson, he added.

Thomas described how in Watson's two years as an employee he rose from labourer to foreman, working up to 16 hours a day and exceeding Thomas's expectations of his workers.

At one point he had felt Watson was getting tired, so he arranged for him to take a trip to New Orleans. "He deserved it,'' he told the court.

He trusted Watson with thousands of dollars of his company's money and never had reason to doubt him, he said.

The court has heard that Watson was with a friend called Ricky Smith the night Doe was attacked. Smith has admitted robbing Doe and is in jail.

Thomas said yesterday that Watson asked if he could hire Smith and if Thomas could give him a place to live. Thomas said he went along with both requests.

But Smith proved to be an unreliable worker and Thomas fired him in late November 1988. He was also told to leave his apartment after allegations of marijuana smoking, said Thomas.

Two weeks after he was fired, Smith confronted him with a knife at the pharmacy, said Thomas.

Watson denies premeditated murder. The trial continues.