When Preben Lyttle stares into his future, three and a half years in prison for gun and ammunition possession stares back at him.

The 21-year-old, Old Montrose resident appeared at the Serious Offences Court last Thursday and pleaded not guilty to having a .22 unlicensed firearm and five rounds of ammunition in his possession on February 27. He was sentenced to two and a half years for the gun and one year for the ammunition.{{more}} Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman stood down the matter for a few minutes to deal with another. When called back to the defendant’s dock, Lyttle changed his plea to guilty.

The court heard that one of Lyttle’s friends met Lyttle in the Montrose area and started an argument with him about the kind of company that he was keeping. Lyttle got angry and pulled a red rag from his pocket with the gun and pointed it in the man’s face. The man said nothing and then fled the scene.

When questioned by the police, Lyttle denied ever owning a gun. Searches carried out at Lyttle’s home found the gun tucked away in a speaker box.

In his testimony to the court, Lyttle said the guy was walking down the road with a cutlass in his hand and all I said, “Some man real stupid eh nuh.” According to Lyttle, the man replied saying, “If is me you talking to, come straight.”

Lyttle said the man came up to him and that’s when he pulled the gun.

Arresting officer PC Beon Duncan also arrested Lyttle for six grams of cannabis. He was however reprimanded and discharged on that charge.