(Trinidad Express) – Rape accused Jason Martin has been charged with contempt of court for throwing a shoe that hit his attorney on the head during a High Court hearing on Tuesday.
Martin was charged with contempt of court by Justice Anthony Carmona.
He had hurled his right side shoe at attorney Ainsley Lucky, who was cursed and threatened.
Martin was restrained by police officers and taken out of court.
On Thursday Justice Carmona gave Martin, 34, a chance to explain his actions before considering whether to proceed with the contempt charge. “If I find the excuse is well-founded that is the end of the matter,” he said. Martin had a new attorney, court-appointed Kevin Ratiram. Ratiram recounted how Lucky came to represent Martin.
Justice Carmona had appointed Lucky to the case after Martin entered a guilty plea last week, to raping a 13-year-old on her way to a neighbour’s house on Valentine’s Day five years ago.
But Martin showed up on Tuesday saying he wanted to change this plea but Lucky advised against it. He said the attorney told him a guilty plea would have given him less time in prison on that charge, the court was told.
When Lucky denied the claim, he was hit with the shoe.
The San Fernando First Criminal Court was filled with about 90 potential jurors, defence and prosecution attorneys, law students, staff and reporters, when Lucky, who suffers with a serious illness, was struck on the right side of the face.
Ratiram said the disagreement between Martin and Lucky led to Tuesday’s incident.
“I would have considered that [the guilty plea] to be sound advice,” Ratiram said. But Justice Carmona described Martin’s explanation as “irretrievably insufficient”.
Lucky, who appeared in court on Thursday to withdraw from the case, said he reported the alleged assault at the San Fernando Police Station.
Four police officers and a prison officer surrounded the prisoner’s dock on Thursday and Martin wore handcuffs and was also chained at the feet.
On the issue of Martin withdrawing his guilty plea, Justice Carmona appointed attorney Indra Ramoutar-Liverpool to represent him, and that hearing was adjourned to July 2.
