Duo awaits trial for gun, conspirarcy charges

Two 23-year-olds will await their trial for gun and conspiracy charges in prison.

Bennisha ‘Ben’ Baptiste, a young woman of Ottley Hall, and Lara Carter, a young man, were hauled before the Serious Offences Court on Monday for two gun related charges to be placed against them.

The two are charged that on February 12, at Rose Place, they had in their possession a firearm, make and model unknown, without being the holder of a licence for said gun.

Further, on the same date and in the same place, they are charged that they did agree with each other that a course of conduct shall be pursued, which if the agreement was carried out in accordance with their intentions, would have amounted to the commission of discharging an unlicensed firearm in a public place.

Both pleaded not guilty to the offences, Carter commenting, however, that the conspiracy charge “make me feel like is ah murder.”

While bail may have been open to them, two separate matters under each of their names forced the two into custody.

Baptiste was informed that she had not shown up for her court date at the Family Court for a matter in which she was involved, and as a result there was a bench warrant out for her. Bail not being able to be given until this was resolved, the Chief Magistrate decided to revisit the defendants’ bail the following morning. She had not been able to visit the Family Court by Tuesday, and as such bail was again set to be reconsidered next Monday, February 26.

While Baptiste’s issue was that she hadn’t been to court, Carter’s was that he had. Information was provided to the court by the prosecution that Carter was already on bail in the sum of $6,000 for a December 3, 2017 robbery, involving a gun and a knife. As such, bail was denied to him.

Their trial is set to begin on March 8.(KR)