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Paul Henry, Observer staff reporter
Posted: 7/14/2009 1:15:09 PM
SENIOR Magistrate Judith Pusey, the judge in the corruption trial of Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley temporarily walked out of court today, in frustration at bickering between lawyers for the prosecution and defence.
Sitting in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, Pusey warned yesterday that she would not entertain any back-and-forth argument between the defence and the prosecution.
Today's incident happened about midday when lead lawyer for the defence, Valerie Neita Robertson, was putting questions to complainant Tafari Clarke regarding to the sequence of events that led him to go to Daley for protection.
This prompted prosecutor Dirk Harrison to get up and tell Neita-Robertson to address Clarke's own statement to him, as police had recorded it, and "to stop being smart". This was in reference to a comment Neita-Robertson had made previously about "being brighter" than Harrison.
Neita then tried to respond to Harrison, at which point the judge walked out for about 15 minutes before returning to the courtroom.
Recordings of Daley, issuing death threats and complaining about his alleged protection money from Clarke being short, were played yesterday.
Daley was arrested on the afternoon of July 31, 2008. Police said the $15,000 in marked bills that Clarke had allegedly given him earlier was found in his possession.
Daley's arrest culminated a six-month-long covert operation against him, which was set up by detectives from the Anti-Corruption Branch, after Clarke complained to them in February last year that he was being extorted by Daley.
Clarke had told the court during an earlier sitting that he had been paying Daley protection money for a plaza owned by his (Clarke's) family in Ewarton, St Catherinesince 2007.
Daley is facing a count of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act. He is to face five other counts in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court when the Corporate Area matter is disposed of.
The case against Daley started on April 21 and was adjourned in May by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey until yesterday.
Yesterday, Neita Robertson attacked Clarke's credibility, bringing into the fray his past cocaine possession conviction in England, during cross-examination.
Posted: 7/14/2009 1:15:09 PM
SENIOR Magistrate Judith Pusey, the judge in the corruption trial of Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley temporarily walked out of court today, in frustration at bickering between lawyers for the prosecution and defence.
Sitting in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, Pusey warned yesterday that she would not entertain any back-and-forth argument between the defence and the prosecution.
Today's incident happened about midday when lead lawyer for the defence, Valerie Neita Robertson, was putting questions to complainant Tafari Clarke regarding to the sequence of events that led him to go to Daley for protection.
This prompted prosecutor Dirk Harrison to get up and tell Neita-Robertson to address Clarke's own statement to him, as police had recorded it, and "to stop being smart". This was in reference to a comment Neita-Robertson had made previously about "being brighter" than Harrison.
Neita then tried to respond to Harrison, at which point the judge walked out for about 15 minutes before returning to the courtroom.
Recordings of Daley, issuing death threats and complaining about his alleged protection money from Clarke being short, were played yesterday.
Daley was arrested on the afternoon of July 31, 2008. Police said the $15,000 in marked bills that Clarke had allegedly given him earlier was found in his possession.
Daley's arrest culminated a six-month-long covert operation against him, which was set up by detectives from the Anti-Corruption Branch, after Clarke complained to them in February last year that he was being extorted by Daley.
Clarke had told the court during an earlier sitting that he had been paying Daley protection money for a plaza owned by his (Clarke's) family in Ewarton, St Catherinesince 2007.
Daley is facing a count of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act. He is to face five other counts in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court when the Corporate Area matter is disposed of.
The case against Daley started on April 21 and was adjourned in May by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey until yesterday.
Yesterday, Neita Robertson attacked Clarke's credibility, bringing into the fray his past cocaine possession conviction in England, during cross-examination.
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