A broken down prison bus caused fury in court yesterday, after a man held in custody failed to attend court on time.

Assistant Justice Archibald Warner launched an attack on the Prison Service when Albert Allen, due to appear for a trial for a firearms offence in Supreme Court Three, failed to appear due to mechanical problems with his transport vehicle.

"This has happened before and is simply not good enough," he told the court. "It is not good enough to say we couldn't bring him because the bus broke down - this is the Supreme Court!

"He should have been here at 9.30 a.m. We can't have a situation where, even with the best of cooperation between the courts and the prisons, this happens. Put him in a taxi. I am not going to tell the Prison Service how to run their prisons, but this should not be happening. It is just not good enough."

He ended his salvo by telling the prison guard on duty in the court to "make sure you tell your superiors so this thing can work up the ladder". Allen, 37, did eventually appear at 2.30 p.m., when he was told his case was adjourned until next month's arraignments session.

He is charged with possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of ammunition, possession of cannabis, possession of diazepam with intent to supply and possession of drug equipment.

In response to the criticism, Prisons Commissioner John Prescod said: "I am awaiting a report to ascertain exactly what took place.

"Obviously we are a public service and we are keen to be as efficient as we can and we always want to work harmoniously with the courts. However, I will refrain from making any further comment until all the facts are known."

Teen threaten Magistrate Greaves

A teen threatened to beat up a magistrate last week as he was being led to prison for breaking another man's jaw.

Neidel Swan, 19, grumbled "I'll beat that guy" as he walked from Magistrate Carlisle Greaves' courtroom to start six month's in prison and two years of probation for punching a man and breaking his jaw in two places on June 3 outside Dub City Variety in Crawl, Hamilton Parish. After hearing that Swan told Police "That guy is a faggot and he was saying stuff about me", Mr. Greaves told Swan: "The man has rights no matter what his sexual orientation is."

And Mr. Greaves told the 19-year-old that the next thing he would be doing was hitting people because they were white, black, or expatriate. Crown counsel Juan Wolffe told Magistrates' Court that the man had to be taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to have his jaw wired.

When Mr. Greaves asked Swan if he had anything to say before sentencing, Swan asked if he would be lenient. "Since I have been in jail, I have thought about this a little more and another jail sentence won't help," said the unemployed man.

Mr. Greaves also remembered Swan from an appearance two weeks ago when he was charged for not reporting for Bermuda Regiment duty during the embodiment after Hurricane Fabian.

He also remembered that Swan refused to sit down properly while in court. Mr. Greaves told him he had an attitude problem and that people while talk about him (Mr. Greaves) all the time, he does not go around hitting people. "What if someone beat you up because you were ignorant?" asked Mr. Greaves. "Six months in jail and two years probation, during which time I hope that they can counsel you. We have got to start treating these things seriously."