A Warwick man, who Magistrate Carlisle Greaves said showed no respect of the law, was remanded in custody yesterday because he was deemed unreliable to show up for court dates.

An unrelated warning from Police came too late yesterday for Keijon Steede, 19, of Purvis Estate Road, who will spend several weeks in custody until the courts can hear his outstanding court cases. Police warned that people who have warrants against their names risk arrest and even a jail cell as they will make a strong effort to resolve the several thousand outstanding arrest warrants in Court files.

According to a Police statement to the media: "There are currently several thousand outstanding traffic and criminal warrants still in existence."

And as a result, Police have already made several arrests in an effort to clear the backlogged court system.

The statement said that beginning on Monday, members of the public who are aware they have outstanding warrants will be able to call a special phone number set up to deal with the issue.

People are asked to call 299-4500, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

An officer will be on hand to inform the caller and set up an appointment in Magistrates' Court if necessary to deal with the matter.

When Mr. Greaves questioned Steede why he had not shown up on previously set court dates, he replied: "My mother took the paper. She went away and took the paperwork with her."

But Greaves replied, incredulously: "What, you can't remember anything for yourself? You can't handle your own affairs? Are you some kind of mamma's boy?"

"We have all kinds of things (warrants and charges) listed here for you," Mr. Greaves added.

Steede denied various charges of having no third party insurance, having no drivers licence, driving without due care, making false statements, failing to have a medical exam for the Regiment, assaulting a Police Officer, resisting arrest, grievous bodily harm and escaping lawful custody.

"You have such a bad history (of not showing up for court dates)," Mr. Greaves sternly told Steede. "Here's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to put you back out there with the people, I am going to remand you in custody for all of these until we can clear these up.

"We are going to roll you over all the time until we can try these cases."

Although Mr. Greaves did not set a court date to deal with Steede's matters, it is understood that under the law, a magistrate has the power to order that a person be held on remand for 14 days at a time. All remand prisoners must be brought back to court every 14 days to be "rolled over" or remanded further until a trial date is set.