A second man was yesterday charged with assaulting missing twins Jahmal and Jahmil Cooper as the wide-ranging search for the 20-year-olds continued with no further developments.

With security beefed up once again inside and outside Magistrates' Court, Dennis Alma Robinson, 34, of Palm Valley, Southampton stood before Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm on the Cooper brothers at a house in Devonshire on March 13.

Robinson was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charges in the lower court.

Despite lengthy arguments by Crown counsel Paula Tyndale and defence lawyer Victoria Pearman, Mr. Warner ruled in favour of the Crown and remanded Robinson into custody until March 31, when he will appear for mention.

The hearing was a virtual carbon copy of the proceedings last Friday, when Kenneth Jermaine Burgess, 33, of 29 Cottage Hill Road, Hamilton Parish was charged with the same offences.

Police maintained a low profile in the hour leading up to the court appearance yesterday morning in an attempt to avoid a repeat of Friday's large and boisterous crowds outside the building.

And while the atmosphere was significantly calmer than the dramatic scenes of last week, Police still cordoned off the road outside the court and diverted traffic away from the area, resulting in major traffic jams along Reid Street and Reid Street Extension.

Meanwhile, Police confirmed they are still combing the Island for evidence of the twins' whereabouts.

Divers were spotted in the water off Clay House Inn in Pembroke on Monday afternoon while a total of 49 officers are currently employed in the hunt.

But despite their efforts, Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith conceded on Monday the chances of finding the twins alive were receding.