The Crown had to ask for a month-long adjournment yesterday because officers needed for a case are away playing cricket.

"This is madness,'' Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said when Crown Counsel Charmaine Smith asked for time to prepare papers against Marvin Lambe.

Lambe, 36, of Radnor Close, Hamilton Parish is accused of breaking into the Crawl Hill Esso gas station on January 24.

"What is so difficult about preparing a prima facie case in relation to matters such as this,'' asked Mr. Warner.

Ms Smith said officers involved in the case were in Australia on a cricket tour.

"One of the problems with the Crown and the Police is that you don't take remand seriously,'' said Mr. Warner. "You've got to take people's freedoms very, very seriously.'' Defence lawyer Larry Scott, who appeared for Lambe, said that he objected to the Crown's request and that an adjournment of two weeks "would be more than reasonable''.

Sixteen officers are currently participating in an International Police Cricket tournament in Perth. The tournament is expected to wrap up March 9.

The officers are among a contingent of 37 from Bermuda.

Police said last month that giving the officers leave to play in the tournament was not expected to have a negative effect on investigations. As the Magistrate and the lawyers sparred over the adjournment, Lambe began bickering with Dakari Ajamu Hollis.

Lambe was seated on the bench behind Hollis, also of Radnor Close, and the two began exchanging increasingly loud and hostile words with one another. The scuffle culminated with Mr. Warner asking bailiffs to remove Hollis after he asked Lambe: "Why do you have to be such a b**ch?'' Lambe's matter was adjourned till March 19.