Talodi — A judge, a policeman, and a clerk were shot dead in a court in Talodi, South Kordofan yesterday after a man sentenced to six months for Contempt of Court, returned wearing a military uniform, armed with a rifle.

Local residents told Radio Dabanga that the perpetrator objected to a verdict issued by the judge over the soldier's original dispute concerning a plot of land. He then reportedly uttered offensive statements whilst in court, leading to his six-month prison sentence.

The offender managed to escape police custody following his six-month indictment and returned to the court, killing Talodi Court Judge Fareed, Mukhtar Ahmed Sheikh El Dein of the Courts Police, and Sheikh Harran, a clerk in the court, as well as wounding three others, including a lawyer and a policeman.

According to local residents, the land-dispute case dates back three years. The court ruled in favour of the opposing party.