The Department of Correctional Services' practice of not providing lunch for prisoners on trial at the Home Circuit posed a big problem yesterday when a murder trial had to be adjourned because of a hungry prisoner.

Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh had to grant an early adjournment yesterday afternoon after the man accused of the murder of 64-year-old Ambassador Peter King complained of feeling ill because he was hungry.

The jurors, after waiting for more than an hour after the luncheon adjournment, were told that the court could not sit in the afternoon because no lunch was provided for 25-year-old Sheldon Pusey.

Years of practice

Some of the policemen manning the court explained that for several years now, prisoners on trial were not provided with lunch. They said if relatives did not take lunch for the prisoners, they got none.

Pusey's trial began on January 19 and a policeman disclosed that many times, it was Pusey's lawyer who provided lunch for him. Pusey's relatives have not been attending court.

McIntosh told jurors the correc-tional facility was responsible for providing lunch for people on trial at the courts, but it seemed the practice had stopped.

Sickler

She said she received information from Pusey's lawyer Berry Bryan that he had not eaten all morning and was complaining of feeling ill. She said Pusey had sickle cell and every effort should be made for him to be properly fed.

She told the police to ensure that Pusey was not taken back to court in the afternoons until he had his lunch.

The judge pointed out that up to 3 p.m. yesterday Pusey had not eaten and she said it seemed to her that by the time lunch was provided, it would be time to adjourn. The judge also apologised to the jurors for the inconvenience.

Pusey was assured by the judge that she would make every effort to see to it he would not go hungry again.

The judge will continue her summation to the jury when the trial resumes today.