Magistrate displeased that defendant was not in court

DEFENDANT, who claims to be a ‘Ralph boy’ was not arrested on Christmas Eve as he ought to have been, in execution of the bench warrant which was in effect for him.

This did not leave Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett pleased when the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court sat yesterday, and Carl Baptiste of Gorse was still nowhere to be seen.

Corporal 664 Wright, who was not on duty at the time the warrant was issued, told the Magistrate that the police transport would look for Baptiste that morning, and that hopefully Baptiste would be in court by today.

Burnett said that he was looking at the first charge which Baptiste had, one of the use of indecent language, particularly, “What the f**k do you Officer, me ah Ralph boy.”

Baptiste is also charged with resisting the arrest of an officer, and assaulting the officer, all on December 21. The magistrate said that he expected Baptiste to

be in custody on Christmas Eve.

“I can’t tell the police what to do, but I observe he was granted station bail,” Burnett continued. He noted, “My eyes are wide open,” when he is sitting in the courtroom.

He also observed that neither Baptiste, or his surety were in court that morning, and that he wasn’t pleased about it.

The Corporal indicated that if no news came from Colonarie he would take the transport out there and look for Baptiste.

The Magistrate also noted that there was a telephone number for the surety, but the Corporal responded that an officer had informed him that calling the number was futile.

The Magistrate said that he was not leaving his office in a hurry, as he has work to do, ending, “So tell the police I will be here.”