A Mesopotamia man was on Monday jailed for possession of a .32 revolver without a licence in Kingstown last Satuday, the day on which Junior Carnival was held in the city.
The man, Jessie Ashton, 20, who had committed his first offence, told Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court that he lives alone and he dropped out of school at form 2.
Last Saturday, police officers found Ashton at Heritage Square with the revolver, which he said he had found at Subway.
Ashton pleaded guilty to a charge that on July 1, at Heritage Square, he had in his possession one .32 revolver, make and serial number unknown, without a license issued under the Firearms Act.
The court heard that about 4:55 p.m., police constables 1033 Nigel Hadaway and 1114 Roberts were on foot patrol duties about Kingstown during Junior Carnival.
While at Heritage Square, Hadaway observed a young man with a transparent plastic bag with what appeared to be cannabis.
Both officers approached the man, identified themselves and requested a search of his person.
Ashton, who was standing closest to the individual, attempted to run but Roberts grabbed onto the defendant, resulting in both men falling to the ground.
Hadaway assisted both men, and saw the defendant with a black, Nike bag. The officer searched the bag in the presence of Ashton and Roberts and found the revolver inside.
When cautioned Ashton told Hadaway, “Officer, I find that up Subway but you find it on me so I would do the time for it.”
The magistrate sentenced Ashton to three years and six months at His Majesty’s prison.
The common team is that the find the gun under a breadfruit tree, i am not surprised it was found in another location. Hard labour should be a part of the deterrence , there should be no free food.
Lock him up that b
YOU YOUNG VINCY MEN, YOU ALL AIWAYS HAVE A POOR EXCUSE ABOUT FINDING GUNS, YOUNG MEN WHEN YOU SEE A GUN, DO NOT TOUCH IT, STAND GUARD OF IT AND CALLED THE POLICE, DO NOT TAKE IT TO THE POLICE, OR YOU WILL BE CHARG FOR HAVING AN UNLICENSED FIRE ARM OK YOUNG MEN
You play stupid games and you win stupid prizes. It’s unbelievable what these young people are putting themselves in. Bud, enjoy your three years behind bars, get out of bed when you feel like and get fed off of taxpayers dime.
Very frightening.
Should be twenty years minimum when found with an illegal gun.
Typical ,stupid and more so ignorant to carry a firearm on you where so many of our kids are trying to have fun ,I believe the penalty need to be more harsh because they not learning .
Once you are found with a gun and you don’t have a license you should be shot immediately b4 you get a chance to murder someone else.