Vermont resident Courtney Joseph was on Wednesday handed a 12-month prison sentence while the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder of Union Island resident Kamau Jones continues.

Joseph was one of five men who were apprehended on July 25, 2016 and charged with shooting and chopping Jones to death on July 20, 2016, while he stayed at the home of a friend in Vermont.

However, Joseph also faced three separate charges for having firearm ammunition in his possession.

He pleaded not guilty to having in his possession, on July 21, 2016 at Vermont, one round of .357 ammunition, three rounds of 12-gauge ammunition and nine rounds 3.38 ammunition, without a licence under the Firearms Act.

When his trial came to an end on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at the Serious Offences Court, Joseph was sentenced to 12 months in prison for the nine rounds of 3.38 ammunition.

He was also handed a six-month jail sentence for the three rounds of 12-gauge ammunition and a three-month jail sentence was handed down for the one round of 3.57 ammunition.

The sentences will run concurrently and a confiscation order was made on the ammunition.

Meanwhile, as the murder PI goes on, Bridon Joseph, Shemai Joseph, Lennox Andrews and Andres Cuffy joined Courtney in maintaining their innocence.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias is yet to decide whether or not the men would stand trial at the High Court. (AS)