Blood flowed in the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday after a prisoner attacked another with a padlock for allegedly sexually assaulting him in prison.
The incident left attorneys who were seated at the bar table in front of the dock scampering out of the way, while members of the public were ordered out of the court.
The padlock, which was tied to a shoelace was seized by police officer, but no one could explain how the prisoner came into possession of those items.
Both prisoners are charged with sexual offences. However, police sources said the attacker claimed the injured prisoner allegedly sodomised him in remand yard. Another prisoner who was also in the holding bay was also injured in the melee.
The incident took place around 11 am in the First Court while several prisoners were in the holding bay waiting for Deputy Chief Magistrate Mark Wellington to arrive.
Several attorneys, members of the public and police officers were also in the courtroom.
“Them is raper man and them have to dead,” the prisoner shouted after striking the other prisoner several times on the head with the lock. He then kicked him in the face several times. Blood flowed from a gash on the prisoner’s head and blood splattered in and around the dock.
An eyewitness said: “The man get hit about ten times. He did not fight back, he just lean up on the wire. Lawyers scamper out of the way.
“Court and process police officers seem to be in shock, a detective who had a court matter got the cell open and went in, then the other officers came.”
“By that time the guy had stopped beating the other man. He was telling the prosecutor, ‘allyuh know what going on with me and this man.’”
With blood dripping from his head to the floor, the injured prisoner was taken out and escorted to the Second Court.
A few minutes after Wellington arrived, but matters were dealt with in the absence of the prisoners. A cleaner was seen mopping up blood on the ground in the court and in the corridor.
As the prisoner was being taken to the ambulance outside the court, he was overheard saying that he would take whatever punishment he got.
The prisoner was taken to San Fernando General Hospital for treatment, but he is expected to be charged for beating the other prisoner.
T&T Guardian was told that last week a prisoner threatened a court and process police officer with a surgical blade.
An attorney suggested that the officers get taser guns while another suggested that the authorities set up a court task force to deal with such incidents.
T&T Guardian was told than an investigation has been launched into how the lock and shoelace came into the prisoner’s possession.