Chief Justice Richard Ground has confirmed he gave no order for court doors to be closed as chaotic scenes marked the end of the Cooper twins murder trial.

Reporters appeared to be barred from entering Supreme Court One to hear the jury?s guilty verdicts on Kenneth Burgess and Dennis Robinson.

Members of the public clamoured to get inside after security officers closed the doors to the public entrance and refused to allow anyone inside. One security official said: ?It?s your own fault for making too much noise.?

Amid farcical and apparently unprecedented scenes in Bermuda, only one media representative was actually inside a half empty court to witness one of the most important cases in recent history come to a conclusion.

Guards told protesting reporters that the trial judge had ordered that nobody else be allowed into the public court.

But Mr. Justice Ground yesterday rejected that claim and said he gave no such order to security staff.

He said he understood that court staff may have told security that nobody should come through the entrance while the jury returned to open court.

That may have been interpreted as meaning that nobody could get into building after the jury had come back.

The Chief Justice said the confirmation of the jury?s verdict should not be interrupted by people ?wandering? in and out of the building.

He added: ?In many jurisdictions access to court is controlled at these crucial times during the trial. In main courts in Great Britain you can?t come in and out during the judge summing up.?

Mr. Justice Ground also said there was ?considerable confusion? outside court as the doors were closed after the twins? mother, Rochelle Cooper, collapsed in court and was taken to hospital.

The Chief Justice added: ?I think that many people had gone outside to witness that, and it meant that a lot of people who otherwise would be in court were not and were disappointed when they tried to get in.?