A Supreme Court jury heard yesterday how a Smith's Parish man presented a stolen cheque to cashiers at a supermarket and was rejected as being "suspicious''.

A trail of witnesses yesterday pointed the finger at Damon Ray Burgess as the man seen on videotape purchasing items at the A1 Supermarket in Smith's.

And a Police Sergeant saw two men -- one of them Burgess -- running on North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish but did not learn until the next day they were prime suspects in a $3,000 break-in at a condo apartment on Aubrey Road.

Burgess' lawyer Victoria Pearman challenged Det. Con. Don DeSilva why he would steal, forge, and then utter a cheque in his own name.

Det. Sgt. Nicholas Pedro declared that he "noted'' that Burgess and another man were running "at the foot of Aubrey Road'' around 4 p.m. on March 2.

Det. Sgt. Pedro said he did not act on that knowledge until the following day as part of his duties he checked a log of reported crimes and noted a break-in of Phillip and Sherry Chadwick's apartment.

Burgess, 34, of Hillsdale Road, denies charges of housebreaking and uttering a false document purporting to be signed by Mr. Chadwick at the Shelly Bay Marketplace.

He has also pleaded not guilty to uttering a forged cheque at the A1 Supermarket and obtaining property by false pretences.

Crown Counsel Juan Wolffe told the eight woman, four man jury: "This case is about Damon Burgess breaking into a house and stealing $3,000 in jewellery and a cheque book.

"It is also about having some cheques and trying to cash them and being unsuccessful at one place and then having success in another,'' Mr. Wolffe added.

Mr. Chadwick testified he left home that day at 7.30 a.m. and returned at 5.45 p.m. to find his step-daughter saying their home had been broken into.

He said one gold bracelet, four pendants, a sapphire and gold earring, and a diamond ring.

Managers and cashiers became suspicious of Burgess at the Shelly Bay Marketplace, particularly after he said he did not have identification.

They all noted Burgess' eyes which were described as "distinctive'' and "noteworthy'' and that he was wearing a grey sweatshirt with the word "Paco'' on the chest. At the A1 Supermarket they queried the cheque but accepted it after telling Burgess he would have to purchase at least one third of its value in produce.

It was only after he left the premises that the Manager of the Shelly Bay store telephoned to warn them about Burgess.

Det. Sgt. Pedro presented photographs from videotape from the store allegedly showing Burgess -- wearing the same shirt -- purchasing items from the store.

At Burgess' arrest at his home he denied knowing about the jewellery or the break-in, but Det. Sgt. Pedro seized the shirt.

"You saw him running up to a taxi? Nothing unusual in that is there?'' Ms Pearman asked the Eastern CID officer. "For all you now know the break-in could have occurred at 7.45 a.m., right? You were speculating, weren't you?'' "No there was nothing in it but I noted it,'' Det. Sgt. Pedro replied. "To a degree I was speculating, but I knew them and made a note of that.'' The trial continues this morning before Chief Justice Austin Ward.