Prisoners with ‘red eye’ kept away

FEARING an outbreak of the highly contagious Conjuncti-vitis disease, commonly called ‘‘red-eye,’’ security officials at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court decided to prevent six prisoners, one of them a female, from appearing in  court yesterday to have their cases heard. The prisoners were brought to the courthouse in Amalgamated Security Services vans, but  when prison officers on cell-block duty became aware of the prisoners’ medical condition they avoided placing them in the cell-block of the courthouse with the other inmates.

The prisoners were instead taken to the nearby San Fernando General Hospital under police guard, for treatment. Two of the six prisoners, were supposed to have appeared in court in relation to the $200,000  jewelry theft two weekends ago at Eden Centre Mall, Upper High Street, San Fernando. Senior officials said yesterday they were uncertain as to when the prisoners would recover to be brought to court. Until that time, they would not be brought to court to mingle with other prisoners and court staff. The  prisoners affected by the ‘‘red eye’’ had their cases called yesterday by the magistrates on duty at the courthouse and were remanded in absentia.