Mothers of defendants in a closed-door trial received witness statements and were reading them outside the courtroom yesterday, in front of one of the Crown?s eyewitnesses.

Recently appointed Director of Public Prosecutions, Vinette Graham-Allen, who is assisting Crown counsel Shade Subair, said that a Police officer brought it to her attention that the mothers were reading the statements and pointing to the witness, who was still under oath.

The witness, Det. Con. Garic Swainson, was excused from the witness stand so legal arguments could take place and was therefore still under oath while waiting outside the courtroom, at Magistrates? Court.

The Crown raised concerns that the witness may be interfered with by the mothers who were waiting out side the courtroom in support of their sons.

Defence lawyer Leo Mills, who represents Wolde Trott and Kavon Earlstone Smith apologised to the court for giving the mother?s the statements to read.

?I take full responsibility. It may have been narrow judgement to have provided those documents, he said.

?At every step of the proceedings she (mother) has been kept abreast,? he added.

Defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher, who represents Ki-Jah Russell Butterfield, added: ?No gross impropriety has occurred if they look at statements, unless they interfere with the witness.?

Ms Christopher questioned why the trial was closed and reminded the court that it was an unusual practice to close a trial about weapons possession.

Magistrate William Francis looked around the courtroom and noted the number of prison officers (six) and media present and said there would be no room for anyone else and he did not want to have people standing around the courtroom.

At the start of the trial Mr. Francis ruled that the trial would be closed to members of the public and family ? only media and security would be awarded a pass.

Ms Christopher asked: ?Is this court closed??

Mr. Francis replied: ?My ruling stands. The trial will remain closed to the extent of my order.?

Mr. Mills was ordered to go retrieve the statements from the mothers waiting outside. When Mr. Mills returned with the statements, Det. Con. Swainson was allowed back in the courtroom to continue his testimony.

Det. Con. Swainson was shown numerous photographs taken by a photographer on April 4 ? the day of the incident at Wellington Oval.

He identified the one man lying on the field ? unconscious ? in the photographs as ?Butterfield?.

It later came out in court by Ms Christopher that ?Butterfield? is Kiwon Butterfield.

Det. Con. Swainson described the people fighting on the field as ?attackers? and ?defenders?.

He identified Trott in one of pictures holding a machete in his right hand.

When asked by Ms Christopher if he or the other officer present at the game were going to enter the volatile situation to help Mr. Butterfield, Det. Con. Swainson replied: ?I know I wasn?t.?

Trott, 21, of Paget and Smith, 25, of Southampton are both charged with possession of an offensive weapon and going armed to a public place in a manner to cause terror.

They originally pleaded guilty to the charges in their second court appearance but have since charged their plea to not guilty.

Jamie Ford, 23, of Warwick, is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, going to a public place in a manner to cause terror, and assaulting Antoine Anderson. He is represented by Mark Pettingill and denies the charges.

Ki-Jah Russell Butterfield, 21, of Paget, is charged with possession of an offensive weapon and going to a public place in a manner to cause terror but denies the charges.

Day six of the trial will continue today, with Det. Con. Swainson continuing his testimony.