Questelles man charged with attempted murder

After telling Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias that he was not a troublemaker, even though he was found with a firearm, a strange twist of events saw Moah Williams hit with an attempted murder charge.{{more}}

Williams, 23, from Questelles, appeared at the Serious Offences Court last week Tuesday, April 12, to answer charges of possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Williams was charged that on April 11, 2016 at Questelles, he had in his possession a .40 mm Smith and Wesson firearm with an unknown serial number. He was further charged that on the same date, he had in his possession .40 ammunition, contrary to the firearms act.

According to police, on Monday, April 11, around 11:40 a.m., Sergeant 93 Dwayne Bailey headed a party of Rapid Response Unit (RRU) personnel and members of the Questelles Police Station that went to Williams’s home.

While outside, it is alleged that Bailey saw the defendant run from a room and throw something from the back porch of the house. Bailey immediately took Williams to the back of the house to an old fridge used to store fish, where he found the gun and its magazine.

Williams is said to have told Bailey, “officer is a long story, but is not my gun”.

Giving an explanation in court, Williams explained to the chief magistrate that he had been paid to hold the firearm for a man.

“I am not a trouble maker,” he said, adding that he never took the gun on the streets and he was only trusted to hold the firearm because he doesn’t make trouble.

After he asked for leniency, the chief magistrate questioned him as to what he was thinking. He explained that he was not thinking and that he had been struggling financially.

The chief magistrate ordered that he be remanded into custody until the following day, so that she could assess the case and make a decision. But, in an interesting turn of events, when Williams returned to court on Wednesday, April 13, he was greeted with another charge, the attempted murder of Jonathan John of Questelles.

John was wounded on March 21 this year.

When Williams appeared before the court on Wednesday, his lawyer indicated that he had changed his plea to not guilty.

Prosecution then objected to his bail, stating that John is still warded at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

According to the police, John is unable to breathe properly and is attached to tubes. Additionally, they stated that John had undergone surgery and is expected to do another operation to repair damaged lungs and other organs.

Williams’s attorney argued that Williams was in need of medical attention and that he is gainfully employed as a landscaper, has a fixed residence and is guaranteed to appear in court when his case is called.

However, this was not enough to sway the chief magistrate, who stated that she would not consider bail at that stage.

Williams will return to the Serious Offences Court on April 27, when his firearm case will be heard, while the preliminary enquiry into the attempted murder is scheduled for June 30. (AS)