Accused man tells judge to do sex act

An accused man told Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell to perform oral sex on Tuesday, after his request to be transferred from the Half-Way Tree Police Station lock-ups was ignored.

Junior Powell was being led away from the courtroom when he told the senior judge "Guh suck a [expletive redacted]". Unfazed, Burrell continued to address the court's matters.

The Half-Way Tree lock-ups, which is close to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court in which Powell's case is being tried, is currently the subject of a probe being led by the Independent Commission of Investigations. This, after two inmates who were being held in custody there died within days of each other. They have been identified as Donovan Phillips and David Satchel. On September 24, Satchel, 59, was pronounced dead at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the lock-ups. Phillips, 68, was detained for arson and murder and died on September 28, after earlier complaining of feeling ill. He was also transported to the KPH where he was pronounced dead.

"Your Honour, me wah lef from over Half-Way Tree, enuh. Every day somebody a dead over there. Me caah deh a jail and every day me a hear say a next man dead," Powell said.

"Someone died at the lock-ups recently?" the senior jurist asked of the court police.

"Yes, Your Honour," the police responded.

"Your Honour, me nuh wah over deh nuh more. Every day a man dead and me caah deal with that, me just wah lef from over deh," Powell lamented, behaving boisterously as he stood in the prisoner's dock.

"I hope you don't expect to get what you are asking for speaking to me like that. Are you finished?" the judge probed of Powell's tirade.

But Powell persisted, getting increasingly aggravated, claiming that he was wrongly accused of a crime. He is in custody for assault at common law.

"Come een like yuh wah me pick up another charge, enuh," he told the senior jurist, which was the last straw.

"Take him downstairs," Burrell instructed the court's police, who quickly placed handcuffs on Powell. He then uttered the insulting words to the judge.

Powell was remanded in custody until January 9, 2025, when a trial is expected to commence.