A Supreme Court judge yesterday delivered a tongue-lashing over social inquiry report delays.

An enraged Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux said such hold-ups left the "Sword of Damacles'' hanging over defendants.

"It is totally unacceptable.'' He also blasted the late-appearance of a Crown Counsel at a case.

Mr. Justice Meerabux went on the offensive as the sentencing of two men had to be adjourned because social inquiry reports were not ready.

One involved 44-year-old Wendell W. Ible, from East Shore Road, Sandys Parish, who faces prison over an attempted break-in.

Ible, represented by Elizabeth Christopher, had fled when a woman spotted him outside her kitchen on April 23, Magistrates' Court heard earlier this year.

But officers traced him after he dropped a notepad with his name on it.

Mr. Justice Meerabux adjourned the hearing until 9.30 a.m. on August 12.

The other case -- put off until 2.30 p.m. today -- involved Leonard Franklin Wayne, 27, of Mount Wyndham Drive, Hamilton Parish, convicted of unlawfully wounding Lovell Gino Trott with a machete.

The offence occurred outside a building on North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish, on August 25, 1995. Wayne, an unemployed father-of-one who has American-Bermudian citizenship, is represented by Victoria Pearman.

The Ible case had been set for 10 a.m. yesterday, but was put off for an hour because no Crown Counsel was present.

At 11 a.m. Crown Counsel Jo-Dina Pearman appeared and apologised for not appearing earlier.

She said there had been a "misunderstanding'' over which court the case was to be heard in.

Ms Pearman also said the Crown had not received a social inquiry report.

In the Wayne case, the court heard a report was expected later in the day.

"The defendant is not prepared to forego the social inquiry report. We would hope that we can proceed on this tomorrow,'' said Wayne's lawyer, Miss Pearman.

Mr. Justice Meerabux replied: "These social inquiry reports are taking too long ... We can't have the Sword of Damacles hanging over this man's head and have him coming up and down here like a yo-yo.''