Bees force adjournment of Georgetown Magistrates’ Court; several persons stung

Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 November 2016, 15:25 by Denis Chabrol

A swarm of bees invaded a section of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Tuesday morning, causing all courtrooms to be locked down with members of the public inside.

The insects, which were housed in a tree behind Court One facing Brickdam, were disturbed by several men doing maintenance works close by.

As the doors of  Court Two were shut, the magistrate, attorneys, and members of the public peeked out the windows to see what was going on outside. There they saw one man lying motionless on the ground with his entire face covered in bees.

He laid there for close to ten minutes with no assistance, until a fire truck came and the officers used fire extinguishers to ward the insects off. The officers then lifted the man and placed him in a truck and took him away.

Next came a vagrant, who upon seeing the man’s cap lying on the ground, decided to pick it up. He was the next victim. He soon tossed the cap away and fled the scene, brushing frantically.

Meanwhile, a woman who was passing the spot unaware of what transpired with the two men, was the next to be attacked.

The woman was seen lying on the ground, rolling and attempting to brush off the bees. She eventually got up and shot across the road without looking at oncoming traffic.

Many other passersby and even an officer were forced to flee the area after being attacked by the bees.

Persons inside Court Two, which was closest to the area had to be evacuated via the prisoner’s shoot.

By lunch time, the swarm had dissipated.