Labourer gets three years for imitation firearm

Desmond Browne, a 30 year-old labourer of Largo Heights has a new residence for the next three years.

Browne was sentenced to three years in prison by Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman on Tuesday at the Serious Offences Court after he pleaded guilty to having an imitation firearm (flare gun) in his possession on May 21.##M[more]##

On the date in question, officers went in search of the defendant in the St George’s Cathedral vicinity to serve a warrant in an attempted robbery charge. Browne was seen in the yard, but when officers called out to him, he jumped over the wall. Officers gave chase and ordered the defendant to stop. When the officers approached him, Browne pulled the flare gun from his pocket and pointed it at an officer and said, “No officer nar search me.”

Browne took off running again and while doing so, he attempted to place a cartridge in the gun but failed to do so. Luckily, he was apprehended without getting a shot off.

Browne told the court that he had slept in the graveyard the night before because some men who had accused him of breaking into their homes had beaten him.

Browne added that he went back to the graveyard the following day in search of the gun that had fallen out while he was asleep.

“I had the flare gun on me and I say I ain’t gwine tek no search, so when dey gwine search me, I pull out de gun.”

Browne told Magistrate Churaman that he frequents her Majesty’s Prison and that he only had the gun on him for protection.