Suspended for gun and ammo

A 17-year-old, who had been charged with ammunition possession was given a suspended sentence, but placed on a dusk-til-dawn curfew and ordered to perform community service.{{more}}

Leonist Sam pleaded guilty to being in possession of one .38 mm automatic pistol and five rounds of .38 mm ammunition without a license. He was remanded in custody when he appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, pending a social inquiry.

When he returned to court on Friday, September 11, 2009, Senior Magistrate Donald Browne, stated that the “well written and researched” report revealed him as “not a very nice boy at all.” He added that the report said Sam could not read and that he was thrown out of school because of his delinquent behaviour.

Browne also reminded the young man that the charges were serious and carried a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

However, Sam pleaded with the senior magistrate not to send him back to prison because he had been sexually pressured while he was there.

“The experience me get in jail, me ain’t want to go back up there,” Sam said.

Browne sentenced Sam to two years in prison, but suspended the term for three years. He cautioned Sam to remain out of trouble for the three years and ordered him to live with his aunt.

“You are to behave yourself in every sense of the word!” Browne warned.

Sam was also place on a six-month curfew and ordered to be indoors between 7:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.

“If broken, you will go to prison,” Browne warned him, before also ordering him to perform 80 hours of community service, beginning on Saturday, September 12, 2009, and continuing every Saturday.

Prosecutor Sergeant Greggs told Sam: “I hope you have learnt your lesson and you wouldn’t be coming back here.”