Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Three-year jail term for gun and ammunition
From the Courts
March 23, 2018

Three-year jail term for gun and ammunition

The keen eye of one police officer, which picked out a suspicious man and a suspicious bulge, has resulted in a conviction for an illegal gun and ammunition possession. 

 PC 41 Campbell was among a party of plain-clothes officers, headed by Corporal 209 Chambers, that set out from the Questelles Police Station at 10:45 p.m. last Friday, March 16, on foot patrol around Campden Park.

 When the officers got near one ‘Josette’s shop’, they came across a group of men smoking what looked like marijuana.

 While the officers, who had identified themselves as police at this point, were searching some of the men, PC Campbell spotted a man. who later identified himself as Shane Nichols, trying to step away.

 Armed with his flashlight, the officer approached Nichols and began a search of his person. He observed the defendant was sweating.

 Becoming more suspicious, the police officer raised Nichols’ t-shirt and observed a bulge in the crotch area.

“Nothing, officer!” Nichols replied, when asked what it was. Campbell continued the search and found the gun, loaded with the rounds of ammunition. 

 Nichols then said to the officer: “Officer, me ain no trouble man, me real sorry.” 

 After finding out that Nichols did not have a firearm licence, he was arrested and taken before the Serious Offences Court on Monday, charged with illegal possession of a .38 revolver and five rounds of .38 ammunition. 

 His attorney, Richard Williams, in mitigation, described Nichols as a gainfully employed carpenter, who works with his father.

 Williams said that Nichols, indicating he is not a ‘trouble man’, is buttressed by the fact that he had no previous convictions before the court. 

 The attorney stated that Nichols was before the court because of the company he keeps and that a friend had asked him to keep the gun for him.

 However, prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche highlighted the seriousness of the offence, referring to a record of the Court of Appeal, which indicates that there were too many gun crimes in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

 He said that the Appeal Court indicates that it was the duty of the court when a person is convicted of gun crimes to act accordingly and asked the Chief magistrate to impose a four-year sentence.

 Williams, reminding the Chief magistrate that she had a discretion to reprimand and discharge, reasoned that for a first-time offender, a four-year jail term was too much, and instead asked for 18 months. 

 After standing the matter down for consideration, Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias noted that the aggravating features were that Nichols had a loaded firearm in a public place and that the offence was serious. The mitigating factors she listed were that the firearm had not been discharged and that there had been no injury. However, she noted that the arrest could have gone wrong very quickly. 

 She handed down a sentence of three years for possession of the revolver and seven months for possession of the ammunition, to run concurrently. 

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Villa woman in  hospital after being stabbed over 20 times
    Front Page
    Villa woman in hospital after being stabbed over 20 times
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Police are said to be carrying out investigations into the stabbing of Rafia Sardine, a 20-year-old female of Villa. Reports are that Sardine, a FLOW ...
    RSVGPF most hacked of gov’t agencies
    Front Page
    RSVGPF most hacked of gov’t agencies
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    In St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), an analysis has found that the most hacked government entity was the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Polic...
    Event staged locally to mark Africa/ Caricom Day
    Front Page
    Event staged locally to mark Africa/ Caricom Day
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Leaders of Governments and institutions from countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the continent of Africa, gathered at the weekend for ...
    PM, proud of his constituents
    Front Page
    PM, proud of his constituents
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is proud of the persons in his constituency who continue to aim for higher education. Dr Gonsalves is the parliame...
    Van conductor to be sentenced for beating pregnant ex-girlfriend
    Front Page
    Van conductor to be sentenced for beating pregnant ex-girlfriend
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    A van conductor, who beat his five- months pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused to get back with him, has been remanded pending sentencing. Onez J...
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    To the haunting timeless reggae melody of Jimmy Cliff’s classic ‘Journey’, Curtis King, who was selected as the candidate for the Unity Labour Party (...
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    To the haunting timeless reggae melody of Jimmy Cliff’s classic ‘Journey’, Curtis King, who was selected as the candidate for the Unity Labour Party (...
    Steel wielding Lowman’s Hill man to be sentenced tomorrow
    From the Courts, News
    Steel wielding Lowman’s Hill man to be sentenced tomorrow
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    A Lowman’s Hill man who struck another villager in his head with a piece of steel will know his fate tomorrow, September 10, 2025. Kevin Roberts, 25, ...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok