Questelles resident jailed for illegal gun and ammunition

The Serious Offences Court in Kingstown has, for some time now, been dealing with several matters concerning the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.{{more}}

Moah Williams of Questelles was one of the many defendants who found himself in court before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias for this type of charge.

On April 11, Williams was arrested and charged with attempted murder, unlawful possession of an unlicensed Smith and Wesson firearm and five rounds of ammunition, after a contingent of Rapid Response personnel and officers from the Questelles Police Station went to his home to conduct a search.

In his witness statement on May 25, sergeant Dwayne Bailey said that on the day the search was carried out, he looked through the front door and saw Williams running towards the back porch with what appeared to be a firearm in his hand.

Police constable Davy, who also took the witness stand, told the court that while he was at the back of the house he saw Williams throw something in the backyard from the back porch.

When Williams took the stand, he claimed that when the police took him to the back of the house where the gun and ammunition were discovered, they beat him across his back with a washing machine hose.

He also said that when he was taken to the CID office, Bailey told him that if he pleaded guilty, he would only be fined and not imprisoned because it was his first offence. Williams added that the officers also threatened to take him into a dark room and beat him if he didn’t give a statement.

Last Friday at court, Browne-Matthias who, in addition to hearing testimony in court, had the benefit of a site visit last Monday, said that she had no doubt that Williams was guilty of the charges against him.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the defendant is guilty of the charges against him,” she said.

However, because Williams’ lawyer, Ronnie Marks was absent, she postponed his sentencing.

When Williams appeared before the court yesterday, he was sentenced to five and a half years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and one year for possession of ammunition without a licence.(CA)