Man sentenced to six years in jail for gun, ammunition

When Denzil ‘Scammie’ Sam was sentenced to six years in prison last Tuesday at the Serious Offences Court, he made his displeasure clear.

“You can’t get justice in this f***ing court,” he loudly declared.

Sam was apprehended on December 3, 2015, after he was identified as the gunman behind the shooting at Rose Place that almost claimed the life of Dexter Rodney,{{more}} October 1, 2015.

He was charged with attempted murder and for being in possession of a .380 ACP pistol, serial number P859830, along with seven live rounds of .380 ammunition without a licence.

When the trail into the firearm and ammunition charges began on January 11, police said the firearm was found about two feet away from Sam by Corporal 328 May, who stormed a house where Sam was, armed with a search warrant.

Photographic evidence of Sam, acquired from his cell phone, was also presented to the court, showing Sam posing with a firearm similar to the one in question.

However, in his evidence, Sam stated that he does not live in the house where they apprehended him and he only went there to charge his phone. He also said that he had not been at house in seven to eight years.

Sam, 20, identified six witnesses, two of whom appeared before the court last Tuesday. Police said that five of the named witnesses were served with return summons and one was told verbally about the court date.

Kim Charles, Sam’s first witness and his child’s mother, denied having knowledge of the gun and told the court that she did not see when her child’s father was arrested, but she was in the vicinity. When police apprehended Charles in relation to the incident, she gave a statement saying that she had seen Sam with a gun before, which she described to the court as being black with a single barrel. Also, Charles said that she had seen Sam with a gun about a year before, but had never seen the firearm for which he was charged.

Sam, who represented himself in court, attempted to ask the witness certain questions, but was stopped by chief magistrate Rechanne Browne Matthias, who informed him that during his re-examination of the witness, he could not ask questions that did not come out during cross- examination. This prevents guiding the witness’s evidence.

Sam was not pleased and shouted, “I don’t getting my justice in this court!”

When Winston Mason, the owner of the house where Sam was found, took the witness stand, he denied knowing that Sam was in his house.

He said that he had allowed Charles to occupy at his home temporarily and asked her not to invite anyone there.

Mason, who is a mason by profession, denied knowing anything about the gun, disclosing that he also lives at Stubbs and had not visited his Ottley Hall home since two days prior to the incident and only visits the house at a specific time of month.

Additionally, he stated that Sam does not usually visit his house, but comes to the yard when he is around the village. He also denied that Sam asked to charge his phone in the house.

“I would’ve charged the phone myself,” Mason told senior prosecutor Adolphus Delpeche.

Browne-Matthias, after weighing the evidence, said she believed the evidence given by the prosecution, because there were too many inconsistencies in Sam’s evidence. Also, his story did not correspond with that of his witness.

She then found him guilty, to which he rebutted “World real unfair,” along with other remarks.

Browne-Matthias informed Sam that he could be held in contempt of court and he would have his chance to speak.

“I can’t see the reason I going to jail and the gun is not mines,” Sam said, “My daughter just start school.”

However, through questioning, Browne-Matthias discovered that he does not visit his daughter, but sends her money through a relative.

Clinging to his claim of innocence, Sam said he would have pleaded guilty if he were caught red handed, but repeated the gun is not his.

The chief magistrate, however, noted that Sam had 16 previous similar gun related offences and the maximum penalty is seven years.

“You could give me 15 years if you want,” Sam said angrily, as he stepped out of the defence box.

He was sentenced to six years for the gun and three years for the ammunition. His sentences will run concurrently.

After numerous outbursts, Sam had to be escorted out of the courtroom by police officers.

He is yet to answer to the charge of attempted murder. (AS)