No prisoners in court

JUSTICE took a backseat yesterday when prisoners who had cases in court were not transported to the respective courthouses throughout the country. Among them were the two men charged with the murder of Cocoyea Village mechanic Nigel Allen, 32, whose body was found in a shallow grave. A prison official told Newsday that the decision not to transport prisoners to court yesterday was based on a decision taken by Government for all of its offices to close off work at noon. Yesterday was the last official working day at Government offices for 2005. Magistrates and Justices of the Peace were forced to postpone all cases yesterday. Yesterday, the two men charged with Allen’s murder — Wendell Jason Simmonds, 24, and Nigel “Cat” Roderique, 30, both of Diamond Village, Claxton Bay — were not taken to the Couva Magistrates’ Court.

Simmonds and Roderique had made their first appearance in the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court for Allen’s murder. The matter was postponed to yesterday’s date and transferred to the magistrates’ court in Couva. When the case was called, Clerk of the Peace Jacqueline Sergeant stood in for absent magistrate Maria Busby Earl-Caddle. She postponed the matter to January 9, 2006. Relatives of murder victim Allen and both accused gathered outside the Couva courthouse yesterday. Attorney Lennox Sankersingh yesterday appeared on a “watching brief.” He said afterwards that he was retained by Allen’s relatives to look after their interests in the Preliminary Inquiry hearing. “The Allen’s family wants nothing less than justice in this matter. The lawyer does not participate directly in the hearing, but follows the procedures so that he can discuss with the concerned parties how the matter is going on behalf of the Allen’s family.”