Prison escorts fell asleep guarding defendant

Two prison escorts have been removed from a court trial after they fell asleep while guarding a defendant.

The custody officers were twice caught sleeping during the case of a man accused of trying to infect male lovers with HIV. An usher was seen prodding one of the officers after loud snoring was heard. A member of the public lodged a complaint during the trial of Daryll Rowe at Lewes Crown Court on Oct 5. A spokesman for GEOAMEY, the custody escort service, said an apology had been made to the judge. Rowe, 26, is accused of tampering with contraception while having sex with 10 men in Brighton between 2015 and December last year.