Vermont man jailed for 12 gauge shot gun

Wendell O’Neal will not have to worry anymore about his life being threatened. Well, at least, not for the next 28 months.{{more}}

The Vermont labourer was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment on Monday at the Serious Offences Court by Chief Magistrate Sonya Young after he pleaded guilty to having one 12 gauge shot gun in his possession on September 6, 2008.

Initially, O’Neal was jointly charged with Sarah Bailey, but her charge was dismissed after she entered a not guilty plea.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., narcotics personnel went to the defendant’s home in Vermont to execute a search warrant. During the search, a brown nylon bag was found in the O’Neal’s room. The bag was opened in his presence to revealed the shotgun. O’neal was cautioned and told officers that he had a fight with a man and someone gave him the gun to protect himself.

The defendant told Chief Magistrate Young that he was involved in a dispute with another man over marijuana and was receiving constant threats on his life. “Me and ah man been geh in ting wen he say I tek 80 pounds ah his weed and he go and kill four ah me queen cattle,” O’Neal explained.

The lanky man said he was on the “block” on Friday, September 5, when the same man came and threatened him again. “He tell me he go see me go down like the cattle,” related O’Neal.

O’Neal said that where he lives, the grass is very high and that his house is the last one in that area, hence the reason for getting the gun. “‘Par I live is round plenty bush, so I jus geh it to protect meself,” he stated.

Chief Magistrate Young told the defendant that the gun is one that could cause serious harm and that he was lucky it did not have bullets lodged in it.(KW)