Teen jailed for four years on gun, ammo possession

A Georgetown teenager was yesterday sentenced to spend the next four and a half years behind bars at Her Majesty’s Prison in Kingstown, after pleading guilty to the illegal possession of a gun and ammunition.

When 19-year-old Brentson Antoine appeared before the Serious Offences Court yesterday, he was charged that on September 10 at Langley Park,{{more}} he had in his possession one 9mm Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol, serial number KABB3744 without a licence under the Firearm Act.

He was also charged that he had eight rounds of .38 ammunition and three rounds of 9mm ammunition without a licence under the Firearms Act.

According to police, a squad of Rapid Response Unit (RRU) officers, headed by Station Sergeant Nolan Dallaway, went to Antoine’s home around 6:15 a.m. to execute a search warrant with respect to an unlicensed firearm.

PC 381 Mc Dowall, who was a part of the unit, searched Antoine’s room and found a black gun with a magazine containing three rounds of ammunition attached to it inside of a shoe that was hanging from a nail at a window.

McDowall also found another bag in the shoe, which contained eight rounds of ammunition. When questioned about the gun and ammunition, police say Antoine replied, “Officer, I find it in a black plastic bag and thought it was weed.” The teenager was then arrested.

Later, after checking the weapon, officers found it to be in working condition and all ammunition to be live.

However, yesterday, Antoine told the court that he had found the firearm around 10 p.m. that night and was planning to hand it over to police, but he fell asleep.

This explanation did not sway Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias who was clear in expressing the impracticality of Antoine’s story.

“That is not plausible, especially in light of your previous offences,” she told Antoine, adding that it is highly unlikely that his version of the story is believable.

The Chief Magistrate questioned why young people would involve themselves in gun activities, which can harm others. “I certainly don’t want that for the society of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” she added.

Antoine was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for possession of the 9mm pistol, two years for the eight rounds of ammunition and nine months for the three rounds of ammunition.

Sentences will run concurrently.

The Chief Magistrate, however, stated that Antoine is not beyond redemption. She said that while the offence must carry a custodial sentence, it is with the intention to prevent gun violence within the state.

According to her, the sentences would also serve as a deterrent to others involved in gun-related crimes.

SEARCHLIGHT was reliably informed that there have been a large number of gun-related activities in the Langley Park area, and so police are currently trying to crack down on illegal firearm possession there.

On Sunday, during that operation, police also recovered one Glock 17 and 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition; however, no arrest has been made so far. (AS)