Prisoner hunger stalls King trial
March 13, 2009
The Department of Correctional Services' practice of not providing lunch for prisoners on trial at the Home Circuit posed a big problem yesterday when a murder trial had to be adjourned because of a hungry prisoner.
Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh had to grant an early adjournment yesterday afternoon after the man accused of the murder of 64-year-old Ambassador Peter King complained of feeling ill because he was hungry.
The jurors, after waiting for more than an hour after the luncheon adjournment, were told that the court could not sit in the afternoon because no lunch was provided for 25-year-old Sheldon Pusey.
Years of practice
Some of the policemen manning the court explained that for several years now, prisoners on trial were not provided with lunch. They said if relatives did not take lunch for the prisoners, they got none.
Pusey's trial began on January 19 and a policeman disclosed that many times, it was Pusey's lawyer who provided lunch for him. Pusey's relatives have not been attending court.
McIntosh told jurors the correc-tional facility was responsible for providing lunch for people on trial at the courts, but it seemed the practice had stopped....
Author: Barbara Gayle
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
