Suspect slits his wrist in court.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Kim Ring

EAST BROOKFIELD - Court officials are investigating how a 41-year-old man smuggled a weapon into Western Worcester District Court yesterday and used it to slit his wrist after learning he could face 9 months in jail.

Joseph R. Perron Sr. of 4 Goddard St., second floor, Webster, was taken from the court by ambulance to an area hospital. Witnesses said there was blood on the floor outside the courtroom where the incident happened.

Mr. Perron was scheduled to be tried on charges of larceny from a person, vandalizing property, assault and battery and disorderly conduct in connection with a Jan. 1 incident at the T.S.K.K. bar on Harris Street in Webster. According to a police report, another patron felt Mr. Perron reach into his pocket and noticed a money clip with $48 in it was gone. The clip was engraved with the name Scott.

A shoving match ensued after the man and other patrons accused Mr. Perron of the theft, and police were called when the fracas spilled out of the bar.

Officers later found the clip in Mr. Perron's pants pocket and recovered $48, folded as though it had been in a clip, from his shirt, a police report states.

Yesterday, lawyers...