The John Travolta attempted extortion trial ended in chaos last night after an outburst at the PLP convention forced Senior Justice Anita Allen to order a retrial.
Proceedings were sensationally halted after South Andros MP Picewell Forbes took to the convention stage and told delegates that one of the accused, former PLP senator Pleasant Bridgewater, had been acquitted.

He exclaimed: "Pleasant is a free woman PLPs! Pleasant is a free woman PLPs! God is good PLPs! Pleasant is a free woman! God still reigns PLPs!"

But trial jury members were still deliberating, and had been for more than eight hours. No verdict had been reached although convention members celebrated Bridgewater's supposed vindication by singing and dancing to "Oh Happy Day".

An angry Senior Justice Allen discharged jurors from returning with a verdict at 10.54pm last night, informing them that some two hours earlier there was an announcement at a political convention by a senior official, indicating that one of the accused persons had been acquitted.

Some 20 minutes earlier, the jury had been brought into court and the foreman indicated they needed more time to reach a decision.

Senior Justice Allen told the jury: "We are very concerned, in the interest of justice, that it does not appear that there has been a communication from the jury room. Justice must not only be done, but seen to be done."

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