A fight among the three defendants in the Lagoon Park murder case on February 4 threatened to end the case in a mistrial, can now reveal.

And while as recently as yesterday the Prison Service remained tightlipped on the incident inside the Supreme Court Holding Cells, this newspaper understands that a probe was launched into how they were able to get to each other.

The difficulty of keeping the trio separate ? despite the conviviality shown in court before and after the fight ? became clear after a two-day adjournment to Monday, February 9.

Jurors entered the court to see the men separated by Plexiglas and wood partitions inside the cramped Supreme Court One dock, with several cracking smiles and others looking puzzled at the partition.

was ordered not to report the incident ? which occurred shortly after the men returned from a site visit to Lagoon Park ? while the trial was ongoing by Puisne Justice Norma Wade Miller after hearing submissions from Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser and defence lawyers.

Mrs. Justice Wade Miller said the order was to ?militate? against prejudicing the defendants in the eyes of the jury.

And Mrs. Justice Wade Miller also ordered a gag on reporting that upon his first appearance after the fight, defendant Robert Blair Tucker said ?See what happens when you do the right thing? as he exited a prison van.

Tension was high at 9.30 a.m. on February 5 as lawyers, court clerks and prison officers whispered at a time when court would ordinarily be starting.

At 9.45 a.m. the first prison van arrived ? up to half an hour late ? to discharge a lone James (Spook) Dill, handcuffed and surrounded by three grim faced Prison Officers.

Five minutes later, the Prisons main transportation vehicle, a former public bus, pulled up.

It was some time before Tucker, who had been sitting at the front, emerged, without his corrective eyeglasses and sporting heavy bruising around his eyes.

As he climbed the stairs to the Sessions House, he looked directly at the reporter and said, ?yeah, see what happens when you do the right thing?, before disappearing into the holding cells.

More than three minutes later, the same prison officers returned to the bus and retrieved Terranz (Monster) Smith, who although he was wearing dark shades, did not show signs of bruising once he took them off.

Mrs. Justice Wade Miller was told by the ranking Prison officer: ?One of the defendants has received injuries to his face which are very much visible.

?He has been taken to a doctor and it may be that the trial may have to be adjourned for a few days pending the doctor?s report.?

The judge ordered that the partition be erected over the weekend and be ready by the following Monday.