MORE than five years after soca artiste Machel Montano and three other entertainers were charged and brought before the court accused of assaulting four people outside Zen nightclub, a decision is yet to be arrived at in the matter.

Yesterday, Port of Spain Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor was scheduled to give her ruling, but this was put on hold after the magistrate said she needed additional time to consider all the evidence.

Montano, Kernal Roberts, Joel "Zan" Feveck and Rodney "Benjai" LeBlanc reappeared before Baboolal-Gafoor in the Seventh Court charged with assaulting Gerard Borwin, Brandis Browne, Janelle Lee Chee and Russell Pollonais outside the Port of Spain club in April of 2007.

When the matter was called, Baboolal-Gafoor apologised to both defence and State attorneys as well as the accused men for being unable to deliver the ruling after three months of deliberation.

She said it was her hope that the ruling would have been delivered yesterday but, based on the amount of evidence given, this was not possible.

Baboolal-Gafoor said in order to come to the correct decision in the matter, she needed to review in detail all of the evidence which was given over the five-year period. She then adjourned the matter to November 23.

In addition to the assault charge, Montano is also accused of using obscene language.

He is being represented by Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal. The attorneys for Roberts, Feveck and LeBlanc are Keith Scotland, Asha Watkins, Daniel Khan, Rajiv Persad, John Heath, Shalini Khan and Larry Williams, while senior State attorney George Busby is prosecuting.