Five Vincentians caught on Dominican waters, one fined for ammunition

A Vincentian national was on Monday, March 26, fined $2,000 by a magistrate in Dominica after pleading guilty to charges of importation and possession of ammunition.{{more}}

According to an online article from the Domincavibes, Toshiba Prescott, 23, was jointly charged with four other Vincentian nationals: Kemmicke Theobalds, Allison Blugh, Ezekiel Robin and Lennox John, after they were intercepted by Coast Guard officials on Dominican waters last week.

Prescott was fined $2,000 for the importation of ammunition, charge to be paid forthwith or in default, he will spend one month in prison.

However, the prosecution did not offer any evidence against the four other Vincentians. Therefore, the charges against them were struck out by magistrate Ossie Lewis.

The article stated that police prosecutor Michael Laudat contended that on Sunday, March 11, members of the Dominica Coast Guard who were on patrol duty observed a vessel named “Inspire” travelling in a southerly direction about ten miles west of Dublanc and pursued the vessel.

That vessel, he said, attempted to evade the Coast Guard, and the officers noticed that during a chase which continued for about three miles, “A bag was thrown from the vessel into the water”.

That bag was retrieved by the officers on patrol. Thereafter the vessel and the defendants were taken into Police Coast Guard Base at Woodbridge Bay.

According to Laudat, “The retrieved bag contained 25 rounds of 12 gage ammunition, electronics, shoes, clothes and money, all of which the defendant claimed belonged to him” and were seized along with the vessel.

Laudat said the defendant was “travelling from Guadeloupe to St. Vincent” and did not have any travel documents.

Defence counsel Ronald Charles who made a plea in mitigation for Prescott said his client “was in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

He further stated that his client cooperated with the police, had pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time.

Charles asked that “mercy be granted” on his client and pleaded with the Court not impose a custodial sentence since his client was willing to pay a fine that the court sees fit since he was already in possession of a return ticket to St. Vincent.

The article further stated that in handing down his judgement, magistrate Lewis said: “By Prescott’s action, the state is now a few thousand dollars richer, and he has already served one week in prison. He deserves justice with mercy”.

It was also stated that Prescott paid the fine and should have left Dominica on Tuesday, along with the four other Vincentian nationals.