Four men were charged with offences relating to Sunday?s violence at Wellington Oval in Magistrates? Court on Thursday in what one lawyer termed ?a Police and media circus?.

Police were prepared for ?the worst case scenario? as defendants Jachai Morris, John Glasgow, Kijah Butterfield and Jamie Ford were brought in for a special early sitting of Plea Court closed to the public save for the Press.

With bail denied to all four, they left court surrounded by armed Police, several smiling with fists raised in the air. ?Keep smiling, Jamie,? one mother called to 23-year old Ford. ?Look what happens when boys see their mommas ? they keep smiling.?

Jachai Morris, 24, of Silvendell Road in Paget, and John Stephen Glasgow, 22, of Spring Hill in Warwick, were both charged with unlawfully attempting to cause the death of Tarik Foster.

They also faced charges of possession of a machete (Glasgow) and a knife (Morris), and going to a public place armed with those weapons ?in a manner to cause terror?.

Neither Morris nor Glasgow were required to plead as the offences are indictable. Morris is represented by Craig Attridge, however Glasgow did not appear with a lawyer.

Kijah Russell Butterfield, 21, of Paget, faced five charges: possession of a knife and of a machete, entering a public place with those weapons without lawful occasion in a manner to cause terror, and the unlawful assault of Antoine Anderson.

Electing to face the charges in Magistrates? Court, Butterfield, represented by Elizabeth Christopher, pleaded not guilty to all five counts.

Jamie Ford, 23, of Warwick, was also charged with assaulting Antoine Anderson, as well as possession of a machete, and having it in a public place without lawful reason in a manner to cause terror.

Represented by Mark Pettingill, he also chose to be tried in Magistrates? Court and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Security was tight inside the courtroom, with armed officers guarding the main entrance to the court building and no one allowed inside unless they were Police, lawyers, defendants or the media.

Though Ms Christopher fought to allow Butterfield?s mother inside the courtroom, Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves refused to allow anyone else inside.

When he heard Butterfield was 21 years old, he added: ?He?s old enough.?

Despite the tight security and an incident on Wednesday when a machete was smuggled into the courtroom, one reporter was allowed inside with a helmet.

Bail was denied to all four men and they were remanded until Thursday, April 15, when they will reappear in Magistrates? Court at 9.30 a.m.

Outside the court building, the Bermuda Police Service closed off entrances to Parliament and Reid Streets shortly before 9.30 a.m., backing up morning traffic coming into the city for more than 45 minutes.

More than two dozen officers, most with bullet-proof vests and some armed with Heckler and Koch firearms, were stationed on the streets outside Magistrates? Court. Several came out on the roof of the Hamilton Police Station to survey the crowd from above.

One woman across the street from the court building was crying, while the mother of one of the accused and his girlfriend supported each other with hugs outside the entrance.

Members of the Island?s legal community circulated outside along with the Police media relations department and a few confused members of the public who had hoped to get into the court to pay their fines, but were prevented from doing so until 10 a.m.

Instead of entering court through the front entrance, due to increased security measures, the four accused, all outfitted in baggy jeans and sports wear, were driven to the back entrance of Magistrates? Court in a Police wagon in an effort to avoid contact with the public.

Spectators and media waited for over an hour to catch a glimpse of the men leaving the court. The mood was so tense that a nearby reporter was told by one of the men?s mothers: ?There (are) two sides to every story. I don?t want to be on your camera, show me some respect.?

The men were led out of court again by armed Police officers. Some were smiling and raising their fists in the air with the support of a mother and nearby crowd members who shouted: ?Stay strong ORC (Ord Road Crew), stay strong ORC.?