Prosecutors have combined the charges against two local men accused of injuring the missing Cooper twins last month, after an appearance in Magistrates? Court yesterday.

Twenty-year-old Jahmal and Jahmil Cooper, have been missing since March 13. Police have formed a large team of detectives to probe their disappearance 20 days ago.

Kenneth Jermaine Burgess, 33, of Cottage Hill Road, Hamilton Parish and Dennis Alma Robinson, 34, of Palm Valley, Southampton, were originally charged separately with causing grievous bodily harm to the Cooper twins at a Devonshire home the night they were last seen.

Crown counsel Paula Tyndale said the pair were now going to be charged on the same information sheet, and withdrew the previous two charges.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner formally charged them with doing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm together to Jahmal and Jahmil. During the hearing, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: ?I want to get this matter out of my court as soon as possible.?

Burgess and Robinson did not have to enter pleas to the charges yesterday as the matter will be heard in the Supreme Court. Ms Tyndale expected that formal disclosure of the Police service?s case would be by the end of the day. Burgess and Robinson will then have to elect what type of Preliminary Inquiry into the alleged offence they want. The pair were remanded in custody and ordered to reappear in Magistrates? Court on April 14.

Dozens of Police officers blanketed the area surrounding the court ? including several armed with submachine guns. Five Corrections officers and several detectives crowded Court One.

When the mother of the missing Cooper twins, Rochelle Zuill Cooper entered the court and sat too close the defendants, a Police Officer told her to sit back at the rear of the court.