Licks in court

"Taken from our C O U R T section.

ENRAGED over a five-year sentence imposed on him by a magistrate, a prisoner went on the rampage inside a courtroom at the Couva Magistrates’ Courthouse, striking two fellow prisoners in the face before being subdued by court police.

The drama took place in the full view of Magistrate Marcia Ayres-Caesar at about 11.45 am. The fight broke out in the prisoners’ holding docks at the courtroom. The prisoner went on the rampage after he failed to get the magistrate to overturn the custodial sentence she imposed on him on a charge of robbery with violence.

Nowshard Sookwah and Joel King, both of whom were in the docks awaiting the calling of their cases, were struck in the face by the enraged prisoner who after being subdued by the police, was dragged out of the courthouse and into a prisoners’ transportation van.

He was later charged with two counts of assault and will appear in the same court today to answer the charges.

Yesterday after he pleaded guilty to the robbery with violence charge, the 32-year-old man of Claxton Bay, was invited to sit while court prosecutor Cpl Sharon Corbette read the facts of the case.

On being sentenced, the accused started to beg Magistrate Ayres-Caesar but she again said she could not fine him. He was then led back to the docks situated in the back of the courtroom. But the matter did not end there.

The accused started to shout and pushed Sookwah who was standing in front of him.

He cuffed Sookwah on the right side of the face and then struck out again, this time hitting another prisoner, Joel King in the forehead.

Officers stormed the docks and brought the fighting prisoner under control and led him out of the courtroom.