Man gets sentenced to prison for gun and ammo

Fitzroy Welcome will spend the next three years and eighteen months in prison, after he was found guilty of firearm and ammunition possession.{{more}}

Welcome, 32, was charged with having in his possession one firearm, serial number 17694 and seven rounds of ammunition without a license. Welcome had pleaded not guilty to the firearm and ammunition charge, but was found guilty on Monday 9th March, after trial at the Serious Offences Court.

According to police statements, Welcome, a resident of Layou, was at the Reclamation Site on Bay Street sitting under a tree, when he was approached by police.

Welcome ran and was chased by the police in the direction of Corea’s lumber yard. During the chase, the accused was seen taking an object from his pocket and throwing it under a parked van. The object was retrieved by police and was found to be a firearm. A small magazine holding seven rounds of ammunition was also confiscated.

Welcome, who adamantly refuted the police statements in Court, claimed that he knew nothing of the gun and did not throw one under the vehicle in question, but ran because of the marijuana he had on him. Welcome had pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and had been fined for the offence in December, 2008.

Prosecutor Inspector Nigel Butcher, during cross-examination, maintained that Welcome knew that he had the gun, otherwise he would not have run from the police.

The three-year and eighteen-month sentences will run concurrently and apply to the firearm and ammunition charge, respectively. (OS)