Man who handed over guns to police in 2022, charged with 2021 murder 

A Glen man who in 2022 handed over three guns to police after prosecutors promised to ask the court to reduce his sentence by six months if he did so, has been charged in connection with the 2021 murder of another villager. 

Ormando Mofford, 30, is expected to appear before the Serious Offences Court later on Monday on the indictable charge.

Mofford is accused of murdering Dale Hooper, a 19-year-old labourer, who was shot and killed in the East St. George community about 9 p.m. on April 9, 2021.

Hooper was the third Glen resident to be gunned down in the village that month, during which at least five people were killed across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which recorded 32 homicides that year. 

Hooper was awaiting trial on several charges, including robbery and abduction.

In October 2018, Hooper, then a 16-year-old student, was charged along with fellow Glen residents, Ozem Oliver, a 16-year-old student, Adolphus Lynch, a 21-year-old labourer, and Kemarl Richardson, 21, a labourer, of Diamond, with burglary.

The four men were charged that on April 18, 2018, they entered the dwelling house of a 70-year-old retired businessman, of Ratho Mill, and stole a quantity of items valued at EC$2394.

Hooper was charged with robbery and threats in connection with a crime at Ratho Mill around 2 a.m. on July 12, 2018.

Police were alleging that Hooper, armed with a gun, robbed a 25-year-old security guard of a half pack of Empire cigarettes, valued at EC$2.50, one white LG cellular phone, valued at EC$700 and one leather wallet, value unknown, and at the time of doing so, put him in fear of being subjected to force by pointing the gun at him.

Hooper was also charged with threatening to discharge a loaded firearm at the virtual complainant.

In 2018, Hooper, Oliver, and Timothy Nickie, a 17-year-old labourer, of Glen, were charged with the abduction of four women, at Villa, on Aug. 17 that year.

Meanwhile, on Dec. 2, 2022, Mofford handed over to police three additional firearms, including an SLR rifle, after the prosecution promised to ask the court to reduce his sentence by six months if he did so. 

Mofford was initially arraigned on charges that on July 4, 2022, at Kingstown, he had in his possession one 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition without a licence issued under the Firearms Act. 

A third charge was that without lawful excuse, he had in possession offensive weapons, to wit one pair of scissors and one metal letter opener.

At his arraignment in July 2022, Mofford had pleaded not guilty to the charges and his bail condition had included a curfew, which he broke, resulting in him being arrested and brought back to court in November.

When Mofford appeared before then Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court, his lawyer, Grant Connell told the court that his client was willing to aid in the surrender of a firearm.

Prosecutor Station Sergeant of Police Renrick Cato offered an amnesty for any firearms handed over and promised that if Mofford handed over three or more firearms, he would ask the court to reduce by six months any sentence imposed for firearm and ammunition seized in July 2022.  

Inspector Nolan “Grandpa” Dallaway of the Rapid Response Unit and his team recovered the firearms from Mofford.

After applying the relevant discount, the court had arrived at a sentence of one year and two months in prison for the firearm, which was further reduced by 47 days, representing the time Mofford had spent on remand.

Mofford was sentenced to eight months for the 10 rounds of ammunition and six months on the offensive weapon charge, both to run concurrent to the sentence for the ammunition.

“You are still quite young. These offences normally go three years upward, five years upward. Your sentence is quite reduced and it started on the lower end of the scale,” Browne had told Mofford.

She had said that after completing his sentence Mofford would still be under 30 years old.

“I have every confidence in you. Not because you have that history that I saw and know and other people may know, prove people wrong; don’t prove them right,” the chief magistrate had said.