Senior Magistrate Browne highly annoyed with Court security

Senior Magistrate Donald Browne has made it clear that he would no longer sit at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court if there is not proper police protection.{{more}}

Days after a prisoner attacked a police officer using faeces, and later made his way into Browne’s office, Browne expressed his annoyance when he saw a prisoner with a can of Vienna sausages while seated in court.

“Officer, take that away from him! How could he have that in court. It could be used as a weapon because look at where the magistrate is sitting, he could easily pelt it here…,” Browne said, at a sitting of the court earlier this week.

Browne made reference to an incident last year where he said a woman was allowed to bring an ice pick into the courtroom because she said it was used to do her business.

“I don’t like this one bit. I will not sit and get myself killed over negligence. If there is another bit of carelessness like this, I am not going to sit in this court,” Browne declared.

The magistrate warned police officers to search everyone coming into the court. “Even if you are in plain clothes, identify yourself and search them…,” he said.

The man who was seated with the other prisoners said he had the can of sausage since he was at the police station.(KW)