Plans are being made to improve security at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court after an allegedly mentally ill man holding a toy gun ran into the Chief Magistrate’s Court while it was in session and instructed everyone to “freeze”.
The incident, which occurred around noon last Wednesday and lasted about two minutes, left everyone in the courtroom in shock, while a police officer hid behind the courtroom door.
Stabroek News understands that Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee subsequently visited the court and measures to improve security especially around the courtrooms are being discussed.
The gate near the Chief Magistrate’s Court, which is sometimes left opened, has since been ordered locked but up to yesterday there was still an obvious lack of proper security at all the courts in the compound.
It would appear that prisoners are the only ones being provided security as they are brought to court accompanied by at least two van loads of heavily armed ranks who block traffic and stand guard to ensure that they are properly secured inside the court lockups.
This newspaper observed this yesterday when Jermaine `Skinny’ Charles and 13-year-old ‘Nasty Man’, both of whom are accused of murder, were among those taken to the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Stabroek News was told that around noon on Wednesday a man who appeared to be of unsound mind, walked into the courtroom while Magistrate Melissa Roberson-Ogle was on the bench. He was holding a brown and black gun, which later turned out to be a toy, in his hand and he shouted “Hands up. Nobody move.” The man was standing just behind the court dock.
A woman who was present in court and who wishes to remain unnamed said that everyone in the courtroom was dumbfounded and before anyone could make an attempt to apprehend him, he fled.
Several persons have noted with concern how a man who appeared armed could just walk into a courtroom and simply get away with it.
At the time of the incident, this newspaper was told that there were no armed policemen in court. There was the orderly, two prosecutors and two other uniformed ranks at the time.
This newspaper was informed yesterday that the man was later apprehended with a toy gun stuck in his waist and he is currently a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Psychiatric Ward.
