BY STEPHEN H. COWLES/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
playback58@gmail.com

COURTLAND—A judge on Tuesday ordered a competency evaluation for a murder suspect, whose alleged accomplice was convicted last week.

Judge C.E. Eason ordered the evaluation for Brian Jerome Scott after going round and round in a contest of words during a hearing in Southampton County Circuit Court. Scott is accused of shooting Tirail Jackson, 21, to death at the victim’s Drewryville home on Feb. 15, 2007.

In court, Scott was speaking gibberish and would not directly answer the judge’s questions about his education level or why he suddenly wanted to defend himself.

“Are you asking a living, breathing man, or Brian Jerome Scott in capital letters?” Scott said to the judge.

The judge declared he couldn’t be certain if Scott was playing a game or incompetent to face trial. Eason ordered the evaluation with the hearing to be continued on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

A jury deliberated for two hours on Thursday before convicting Tiona Tucker, 33, of Drewryville of Jackson’s murder. The jury suggested a sentence of 27 years in prison on the murder and three years on the gun charge. Judge Robert O’Hara set sentencing for Nov. 10.

The prosecution claimed that Jackson was shot with two different weapons after a robbery went bad.