Prosecutors and Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner were operating at cross-purposes again yesterday as yet more scheduling confusion consumed the trial of six former narcotics officers accused of assault.

The matter resumed yesterday morning with Mr. Warner ultimately rejecting an application from the Crown to adjourn the case until July 11, when its star witness ? overseas forensic expert Valerie Rao ? will next be available to testify.

The decision came in the aftermath of a dramatic legal tussle between the Department of Public Prosecutions and Mr. Warner on Monday, which saw Chief Justice Richard Ground step in to order the reluctant Senior Magistrate to adjourn the trial.

This was to allow lead Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney to tend to his obligations in the Supreme Court murder trial of George Liburd ? a matter Mr. Justice Ground stated took precedence over the trial in the lower court.

But during his ruling yesterday morning, Mr. Warner said he had been told by Puisne Judge Charles Etta Simmons that the murder trial she has conduct of would not be proceeding this morning ? freeing up Mr. Mahoney to prosecute the assault case.

Whether or not Dr. Rao was available today was not his concern, Mr. Warner said, and in keeping with the detail of Mr. Justice Ground's ruling on Monday, the onus fell on the Crown to ensure its witness was available to the court.

But Mr. Mahoney told yesterday afternoon thathe knew nothing about the proposed adjournment to the Liburd trial, while the Supreme Court registry has also confirmed the matter is scheduled to go ahead as normal at 9.30 a.m.

With Mr. Mahoney stressing that he will not be in Magistrates' Court and Dr. Rao due to return to the United States this morning, exactly what is going to transpire is anybody's guess.

Jamiko Tucker, 27, Allan Miguel, 40, Kirley Mitchell, 31, Andrew Woolridge, 32, Antoine Fox, 37, and David Bhagwan, 30 are charged with assaulting former Dunkley's Dairy employee Michael Madeiros, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence for conspiracy to import more than $2 million worth of cannabis.