MONTEGO BAY, St James — The trial of businessman Michael Issa, who is charged with resisting arrest and the use of indecent language, is to continue in the St James Parish Court on June 13.

The new date was set when the matter was called up on Wednesday. A clerk of court, who was sitting in for a colleague who first handled the case, told presiding Judge Kaysha Grant that she was unable to proceed as she did not have the notes or information on what was said in the previous hearing.

However, before a new trial date was set, Judge Grant allowed the station diary to be perused by the defence before it was entered into exhibit.

At the start of the trial on May 16, the prosecution had asked for the diary to be brought in as evidence.

According to Issa’s attorney Michael Hemmings, on May 16 he was presented with a typed document outlining the information in the station diary. On Wednesday, he asked to examine the actual diary. His request was granted and after about 20 minutes perusing the document he told the court that, except for some instances where there were no dates recorded in the diary that would give a precise sequential flow of activity, he had no objection to the item being entered into evidence.

“…What is contained in the diary is what is contained in the typed version. Therefore, I will not make an objection to this being admitted, except there is another entry that was not produced to me in relation to this matter. I would respectfully ask for a copy because that entry will serve [a] useful purpose in defence…,” Hemmings told the court.

Issa was initially charged, on January 13, with negligent loss of a firearm, resisting arrest and indecent language. The firearm was later found and that charge did not proceed. Issa is the stepfather of Gabriel King, the autistic nine-year-old who was found, on January 12, slumped in the back seat of his mother’s car with his throat slashed. The young boy’s body was found shortly after his mother told police assailants dragged her from her car and drove away with him in it.

The incident allegedly took place on the Tucker main road in St James. The car was found on Oak Hill Avenue in Fairfield Estates.

There have been no arrests in the case and no suspects named.

The charges Issa is now facing stem from his interaction with the police in the hours after King’s body was discovered.