Judge blasts accused gangster for loud yawning

Chief Justice Bryan Sykes yesterday warned members of the Clansman-One Don Gang to behave after one of the defendants made a loud yawn while a police witness was testifying.

The judge, after hearing the sound, instructed 11 of the 18 defendants who were in courtroom one to stand, and told them not to let it happen again as there would be consequences next time.

"Don't let there be a repetition of this," he told the defendants before they took their seats. Earlier in the morning session, the judge accepted into evidence three transcripts of the secret recordings of conversations of alleged gang members. The transcripts, which included a 174-page document, were transcribed by two police personnel with the help of the former top-tier gang member who is now a state witness. He had secretly recorded conversations he had with alleged members of the gang including reputed leader Andre 'Blackman' Bryan.

The transcripts were previously only marked for identity after efforts to have them entered into evidence were blocked by the defence. Sykes on Monday ruled that the recordings, which had also faced several roadblocks in being admitted, had met the legal requirement for admissibility.

The witness had testified that he had recorded the conversations using three cell phones and had handed them over to the police. He is to be recalled today to testify about the recordings which will be played in the Home Circuit Court.