SOMETHING is radically and outrageously wrong with my country. When I make this statement I am referring to the brazen and outlandish things that are allowed to take place and no one seems to care. Note my words “allowed to take place” because, there is no way these things should ever take place or at least if they do, they should be dealt with swiftly and in the sternest possible way the minute it raises its head. Blatant wrongs are committed and criminals get away with it, then I am forced to believe that the right automatically becomes the wrong and the wrong right. Outrageous! It’s all happening in this “great” country called Guyana, right before our very eyes. I refer to the recent uproar in Magistrate Ann McClennan’s court when the murder case involving the four accused was called.

As reported, the four accused in the Fiedtkou Parris case started a brave ruckus after charges were read. One of the accused began the pandemonium by repeating the words “how can a dead man’s testimony be taken into evidence   …  bare sh**t man bare sh**t.”
I believe this guy was relying on the outrageous court case that Fabayo Azore dealt with, when, at the third hearing  promptly freed the criminal citing the flimsy excuse of the non-attendance of a police investigator. I am sure the accused had this matter fresh in his mind and in like manner expected this magistrate to do the same, but she didn’t, hence the continuing onslaught. The other accused then took it upon himself to hurl expletives at the magistrate intermingled with a murderous threat “we gun find y’all when we come out  …  we gat family that can f**k y’all up.” At that stage instead of slapping the foul-mouthed low lives with additional charges, this magistrate simply asked for the prisoners to be escorted out of the courtroom. Fantastic!
This falls nothing short of shocking and outrageous, that a prisoner can openly threaten a magistrate in full view of onlookers and get away with it. This is indeed frightening to say the least. This constitutes what I would call “the epitome of lawlessness” as our country is now overrun by thugs, bandits and criminals. What I would advise the learned magistrate to do is to slap those additional charges at the next hearing and send a clear message that the court is not in any way intimidated by their tirades. Magistrate McClennan must send a clear message that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated; failing this, we as a society would be in big trouble.

As a follow up to the Barton case and Magistrate Fabayo Azore, what has become of both individuals? Is she still a practising magistrate and is he still a freed man? It is interesting to know.

NEIL ADAMS