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Benjai for court after Carnival

The trial of soca singer Rodney “Benjai” LeBlanc will continue after the Carnival season.

LeBlanc attorney Shalini Khan was expected on Tuesday to cross-examine Corporal Anthony Wolfe who testified that he saw LeBlanc spit in the direction of Constable Valentine Eastman during LeBlanc’s arrest two years ago.

The lawyer was also expected to question Eastman after he gave evidence against the entertainer.

However, when LeBlanc came to court on Tuesday, San Fernando Magistrate Natalie Diop referred to a letter Khan had submitted alerting the court that she was involved in a matter before the High Court and would be unable to be present for LeBlanc’s matter.

Diop adjourned the case to March 4.

Two weeks ago, Corporal Wolfe testified that on December 18, 2010, he was working at the base of San Fernando Hill when, at around 1.30 a.m, he arrested LeBlanc.

Wolfe said he told Eastman to carry LeBlanc to the Mon Repos Police Station.

While the singer was being escorted from the stage area to a police vehicle in the parking lot, LeBlanc and a crowd of patrons were behaving in an “agitated manner”, Wolfe said.

He said as the crowd increased the protest, he saw LeBlanc spit in Eastman’s direction and he also saw a struggle.

After his evidence was taken, the trial was adjourned to Tuesday’s date at Khan’s request.

She had asked that both Wolfe and Eastman be present to be cross examined at the same time.

Chutney promoter Nirmal “Massive” Gosine also reappeared in the San Fernando Fifth Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

He was ordered to return to court on March 11 to start hearing the case in which he allegedly beat his neighbours with a cutlass.

Gosine is charged with assaulting Andrew Richardson and Wayne Dharanpaul by beating them at Mootoo Street, Marabella on December 10 and also with using obscene language on that day.

Summonses were issued Tuesday for both alleged victims to attend court on the trial date.