A Police officer will face charges that he threatened his daughter?s grandmother after an attempt to get his case dismissed failed in Magistrates? Court.

P.c. Robert Butterfield, 36, of Tommy Fox Road, St. David?s, is accused of behaving in a threatening manner towards Stella Outerbridge and using offensive gestures. Both offences are alleged to have taken place on June 28 in St. George?s.

Lawyer Llewellyn Peniston, acting on behalf of Butterfield, asked Acting Magistrate Justin Williams to ?strike out? the matter because the complainant was not in court for the start of the trial, which was scheduled to get underway yesterday.

Mr. Peniston said that the allegations had been hanging over Butterfield?s head for a very long time.

?The complainant is not here but my client is and he is ready to proceed. Justice must be applied equally and it would be in the interest of justice to release him from the shadow hanging over his head,? said Mr. Peniston.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister told Mr. Peniston it would be wrong for the court to dismiss the charges. ?The complainant is overseas and, in light of the fact that this case has never been adjourned, I submit that the appropriate course of action would be for the court to postpone the matter until next month. This is not a situation where the case has been adjourned time and time again,? he said. At this stage a clearly frustrated Butterfield spoke to Mr. Peniston and a few seconds later the lawyer informed the court he had been fired.

Butterfield, acting on his own behalf, then pleaded with the court not to adjourn the case. ?I have been suspended from the Police Service for over a year. This is my life we are talking about,? he said.

?I want this matter dealt with today. This woman (the complainant) is making a mockery of the court system.

?Why is she not here today? She was on the Island last week. Why did she leave Bermuda if she knew this matter was scheduled to go to trial today??

Mr. Williams said he understood Butterfield?s frustrations but pointed out that this particular case against Butterfield had never been adjourned.

He released Butterfield on bail until December 19 when the case will go to trial.