Man caught walking on public road with loaded firearm, jailed

A 21-year-old man was sentenced to prison after he was caught walking on the Lodge Village public road with a loaded gun.

Adonis Francis of Redemption Sharpes, appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court before Senior Magistrate, Tammika McKenzie on December 10, 2024, where he was sentenced to prison for illegal gun possession. Francis pleaded guilty

that on December 9, 2024 at Lodge Village, he had in his possession nine .38 rounds of ammunition, and one .357 magnum revolver without a license issued under the Firearms Act.

The facts are that on the date in question, at about 9:15 p.m, Sergeant Lewis headed a party of Special Services Unit personnel on mobile/foot patrol along the Lodge Village public road. During the patrol, Francis was seen walking towards the police and acting suspiciously. The police approached him, identified themselves, and a search was requested.

Francis consented to the search, and the police found a loaded silver and black .357 magnum in his crotch with six rounds of .38 ammunition. He was immediately cautioned, and replied, “officer, you done hold me a’ready, ah mines.”

Francis was arrested on suspicion of possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and was taken to the Central Police Station.

There, a further search was carried out on his person, and three rounds of ammunition was found in his right, back pants pocket. When Francis was cautioned, he replied,” alyo done hold me a’ready”. Checks at the Firearm Registry revealed that Francis does not have a license to keep firearms and ammunition.

A ballistic expert revealed that the ammunition were live rounds. “Unfortunately for you, this type of offence is straight jail. No ifs, buts, maybes, especially with what’s happening in the country right now,” the senior magistrate told the young man. She considered Francis’ age, his character, and that there is a prevalence and upsurge of violent killings in the country. She then sentenced Francis to three and a half years in prison for illegal possession of Firearm; he will be sentenced today Friday, December 13, 2024 on the ammunition charge.