The preliminary hearing for suspects in the Jane Creba shooting investigation has been delayed again over allegations of abuse at the hands of court guards.

Tyshaun Barnett claims he was beaten by court security guards in the Scarborough courthouse cells. Barnett, who is charged with second-degree murder, was taken to hospital with a swollen face.

Toronto police are investigating the allegations.

Barnett's lawyer Chris Hicks said the alleged beating could have been racially motivated.

"This is a highly charged matter in any event," Hicks said outside court Thursday.

"I mean, Jane Creba was a white person and everybody charged is a non-white person and there's a racial undertone to this. Everybody has to be careful about that and that includes people who have care of people in custody."

This is the second time the public has heard about alleged mistreatment of people involved in the Creba case.

Last week Richard Steele, who is a key witness in the Crown's case, said that he has been beaten on two separate occasions by guards at the Metro West Detention Centre.

Steele has since been sent to a facility in Penetanguishene. He is serving a six-month sentence for unrelated gun and drug charges.

Several weeks ago Steele's lawyer attempted to have a subpoena forcing him to testify at the preliminary hearing quashed. Selwyn Pieters argued that being a so-called 'rat' was a death sentence in the criminal subculture to which Steele belongs.

The attempt was unsuccessful. The judge ruled it was Steele's moral and civic duty to testify.

Police allege Steele may have been the intended target in the shooting that took Creba's life.

Seven men are facing murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the Boxing Day 2005 shooting of Creba. The 15-year-old was shopping downtown with her family when shots rang out on Yonge Street near Dundas.

Six other people were injured in the shooting.

Facing second-degree murder and attempted murder charges are Barnett, 20, Louis Woodcock, 20, and Jeremiah Valentine, 25.

Andrew Smith, 21, Shaun Thompson, 22, Andre Thompson, 23, and Vincent Davis, 26, are charged with manslaughter.

The preliminary hearing has been put on hold until at least next week.

With a report from CTV's Chris Eby