A Richland Park labourer who said he has no one to help him was given a suspended sentence for possession of one round of 9mm ammunition.
Dwayne Jackson, 19, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court in Kingstown on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of using threatening language on June 11, two days before the ammunition was found.
According to the facts by the prosecutor, Inspector of Police Renrick Cato, investigations into a charge of threatening language led to the execution of a search warrant at Jackson’s home on June 13, in Richland Park.
PC 88 Richardson met Jackson at home. He consented to the search and was present during it.
Police found the ammunition in a blue flower vase on a wooden space saver in the living room.
Richardson showed the ammunition to Jackson, who responded, “Officer, ah road mi bin pick up that a long time ago.”
Jackson, who did not have a lawyer, told the court that he found the ammunition the day after a jiggy party at which shots had been fired.
“My life is not perfect,” he told the court, adding that he has no one to help him and people often tell him he lives amongst rats and cockroaches.
He said he left Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia, in Form 3 after he was involved in a fight “over boyfriend, girlfriend thing nah”, and he injured his victim.
Cato asked the court if it was minded to give Jackson the keys to his own cell and to impose a bond.
“You can’t blame your situation and say you grew up a certain way. Apply yourself,” the magistrate told Jackson.
“It’s up to you to utilise a second chance”, the magistrate said, adding, “Go and look for work.”
The magistrate deactivated a previous bond, sentenced Jackson to six months in prison, suspended for a year and ordered that the ammunition to be confiscated.
“Go and look for work. Don’t come back before me,” the magistrate told Jackson.
On the indecent language charge, the magistrate granted Jackson EC$1,000 bail in his own recognisance.
The magistrate transferred the threatening language charge to the Mesopotamia Magistrate’s Court for a hearing on June 26.