Lawyer to challenge ‘delay’

Attorney-at-law Lalu Hanuman disclosed on Thursday that he had filed a constitutional motion on behalf of his client involved in a criminal matter.

Kirk Laron Rudder, of Martindale’s Road, St Michael is before Justice Carlisle Greaves in the No. 3 Supreme Court charged with robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the crime back in March.

However his co-accused John Seymour Ricardo Griffith, of 3rd Avenue Dash Gap, Bank Hall, St Michael, admitted to robbing Steve Yearwood of a chain, a bracelet, a bangle and a cellular phone, with a total value of $7 200, on December 1, 2010, in St Lucy.

Griffith, who is represented by attorney-at-law Justin Leacock, also admitted to separate charges. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Yearwood with intent to maim, disfigure or disable him or to do serious bodily harm to him, as well as using a firearm without a valid licence.

On that occasion, prosecutor Senior State Counsel Neville Watson said he would make a decision with regards to accused Rudder at a subsequent sitting of the court.

When the matter was called today Griffith was not brought down from Dodds Prison but Rudder, who is on bail, was present.

It was at that time that Hanuman informed the court that he had filed a constitutional motion on Rudder’s behalf on the grounds of “unreasonable delay”.

He said, “It’s 12 years . . . 12 years this man has had to come to the court . . . I cannot risk my client’s liberty,” the defence attorney submitted.

However, Justice Greaves made it clear that “you all really waste time” before adjourning the matter until Friday.