Accused shooter says gun is not his

The man apprehended for the shooting of Dexter Rodney at Rose Place last year says the gun he is being accused of using is not his.

Ottley Hall resident, Denzil “Scammie” Sam appeared at the Serious Offences Court yesterday to answer charges of having in his possession a .380 ACP Pistol, serial number P859830 along with seven live rounds of .380 ammunition without a licence.{{more}}

“The firearm was not mines own,” the 29-year-old told the court.

According to Sam, he had just arrived at the house to collect a cell phone he left to charge when police officers barged in and apprehended him.

“I only went to collect my phone,”

Sam said that he is not a resident of the house, but because he does not own a charger nor does he have electricity at his house, he had left his phone charging there that morning before travelling to Kingstown.

After being apprehended, he said that police officers took him back to the house and he does not know where the firearm came from.

However, Sam’s story conflicted with that of the arresting officer Corporal 328 May, who said that when he entered the house he saw Sam standing with a cellular phone to his ear and when he approached him, he noticed a firearm on the floor, two feet away.

May said he called for back-up from PC 591 Robinson, who at the time was standing guard at the door. They apprehended Sam and he replied “Officer, I don’t know anything ‘bout that.”

This prompted the team of officers to conduct further checks of the house, but nothing illegal was found.

May further stated that on his way to the police transport, Sam refused to hand over his cellular phone, which was later recovered by another officer.

A search of police records revealed that Sam did not possess a licence for the firearm and ammunition.

Sam’s cellular phone also contained photographs of Sam holding a firearm similar to the one recovered by police. Those photos were displayed in court.

The accused then alleged that during this arrest, he asked the police to take him to his home, because that was not his house.

During his cross-examination by Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpeche, Sam said that the day in question was the first time he had gone to the house in seven to eight years.

He claimed that he was in the house for about one minute before police arrived.

Cross-examination further revealed that his child’s mother, who was also arrested in relation to the gun, was frequently at the same house.

“So you have not visited this house in seven to eight years and you were there for one minute and police lock you up. You don’t find that strange?” Delpeche questioned.

However, Sam said that he was wanted, so it was not strange to him, but he never lived in that house.

When questioned about the firearm in the pictures displayed to the court, Sam claimed that a Guadeloupian friend, who he said owned the firearm, took the picture in October while in the mountains on the leeward side of the island.

“Things look alike,” Sam said, in relation to the firearm.

Sam then accused May of lying, alleging that the firearm was not found at the house and he does not know where the gun was found.

“I was not inside when they found the gun,” he said.

However, earlier in the trial he implied that May found the gun under a chair.

When Delpeche picked up on this, Sam quickly retorted, stating that while at CID, he heard an officer saying he found the gun under a chair.

Sam, who is no stranger to police officers, also defended wrestling with the police officer for his phone, stating that he always loses his phones when he is arrested by police and that is why he did not willingly hand it over.

Sam will reappear before the Serious Offenses Court on January 19, when his five witnesses will be expected to give evidence. (AS)