Court Fracas

THE USUALLY quiet atmosphere at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Four A Court was yesterday disrupted when one of the prisoners refused to accept the adjournment of his matter by Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim, who in the absence of a note taker, was calling and adjourning the matters that were scheduled to be heard. 

Otis Ian Blackette, who had been incarcerated for the past 20 months, was charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking on March 19, 2002 by an officer attached to the Organised Crime and Narcotic Unit. Immediately upon entering the prisoners’ dock, Blackette stated that he had a complaint to make.  After Lee Kim looked at his file and informed him of his adjournment date, Blackette demanded that his matter be heard, causing the magistrate to order him to leave the dock. One of the police officers present in the courtroom attempted to escort an irate Blackette out of the dock and he (Blackette) resisted followed by a deluge of expletives.

A struggle ensued and Blackette gave a further demonstration of his fluency in obscene language.  At that point Lee Kim made a hasty exit and returned only when Blackette had been subdued and taken away. Approximately seven officers restrained and took the struggling inmate to the holding cell on the ground floor of the St Vincent Street courthouse.  As he was being escorted downstairs, he yelled at an officer, “You lucky boy.”  Some curious members of the public seated in the courtroom made an attempt to see what was going on and were immediately ordered by officers to “remain in (their) seats.”  No one was injured during the altercation. Blackette, who was described by an officer as being “ignorant too bad,” will re-appear in court on October 30.