Kenneth Joaquim walked out of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court a free man after illegal possession of firearm and ammunition charges against him were dismissed on Wednesday.
Magistrate Hazel Octave Hamilton had set the day as the final date for the tendering of the gun and ammunition, but Sergeant Warren London failed to attend court when the matter was called.
The court heard that Joaquim allegedly had in his possession a .32 revolver and two matching rounds of ammunition. Police had alleged that ranks on patrol in Le Repentir Cemetery had seen a car parked in the cemetery and had observed three persons nearby acting suspiciously.
The patrol vehicle which was being driven by Constable McKenzie and under the command of Sergeant London approached the group of men and allegedly saw the defendant throw something into the grass. London carried out a search of the area and found the gun and ammunition and arrested Joaquim and took him to Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary.
Joaquim’s attorney Lyndon Amsterdam had told the court that when the firearm was found, there were two other persons in close proximity. He said that his client was asked by another to accompany him to the area and they saw the gun on the ground. Further, Amsterdam said that all persons had denied knowledge of the firearm, which makes possession questionable as multiple persons could have had possession of the weapon.
