Murder defendant tries to strangle lawyer in court

BOSTON (Reuters) - A man charged with murder in Massachusetts was so angry with his lawyer's performance he attacked the attorney in court, trying to strangle him as a shocked judge looked on, Boston radio reported on Wednesday.

"I think he just didn't like the way some of the rulings the judge was making was going yesterday morning," attorney Bruce Carroll told WBZ Radio of the Tuesday morning attack by defendant John Gomes in Boston's Suffolk Superior Court.

"He eventually stood up, started saying something and reached over and grabbed me by the throat," said Carroll.

Several officers intervened before the 6-foot (1.8-meter), 250-pound (113-kg) Gomes was separated from Carroll, the radio reported. Carroll had tried to withdraw from the case last week but the judge denied his request.