Staff members leave the San Fernando Supreme Court yesterday morning after it was shut down to be sanitised for the swine flu virus.
Photo: Rishi Ragoonath

The San Fernando Supreme Court was shut down yesterday to be sanitised after a police officer attached to the cell block tested positive over the weekend for the Influenza A/H1N1 virus. Criminal and civil matters, with the exception of two civil matters, were adjourned and staff sent home yesterday morning. But, it was not until 12 noon that the court closed its doors to members of the public. The police constable, attached to Court and Process, is said to be in a critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the San Fernando General Hospital. The officer, who worked in the court last week, is vomiting blood and is on a ventilator, a source said. The source added that a tube is to be inserted in his throat to assist his breathing. His colleagues, who were in direct contact with him, are yet to be tested.

Unable to access their uniforms because that area of the court was restricted, the officers wore plain clothes in the courtrooms. The judges were issued with notices yesterday informing them of the situation. In dismissing the jurors in the Second Criminal Court, Justice Anthony Carmona said they were reliably informed that one of the police officers who worked in the Third Court, and would have passed through the other criminal courts, was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. Carmona said: “We were reliably informed he is in ICU and he is vomiting blood and on a ventilator. It seems the situation is of great extreme and the court in the circumstances cannot be irrresponsible by indifference.” The judge apologised for the inconvenience, saying they had to confirm what had been rumoured.

He expressed hope the officer would recover quickly. He adjourned two cases; Mukesh Chandradath, charged with murder, to Thursday and Garrison Adams, charged with drug-trafficking, adjourned to tomorrow. In the Third Criminal Court Justice Gillian Lucky was expected to sum up an arson matter in which two brothers are charged and in the First Court Justice Prakash Moosai is presiding over a murder trial in which Andy Adams is in the dock. Both matters were adjourned to today. However, at 1 pm matters were still being heard in SF 16 and SF 9. Security officers, without any masks, also remained in the building. The court is expected to be sanitised by Century 21 Janitorial today. Police officers also said they wanted the San Fernando Police Station to be sanitised.