Cornel Atkinson, 20, was charged yesterday with the unlawful possession of two rifles, including one with a telescopic lens, allegedly found at his home earlier this week.
Atkinson, of Lot 29 Railway Line, Kitty was denied bail by Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, which heard that he had admitted to police that he owned the weapons.
It is alleged that Atkinson, on May 29, 2012, at Railway Line, Kitty, had in his possession a Remington rifle and a Winchester rifle, with a telescopic sight, although he was not the holder of a firearm licence.
Atkinson, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, was said to be a food vendor and also a dog food manufacturer. His older brother was also initially held in connection with the find, but he was released on Thursday without charge.
Attorney Savitri Sonia Parag, standing in for attorney Hukumchand, appeared on behalf of the accused and asked the court to consider granting bail. Parag stated that he had no antecedents, while emphasising that the weapons, contrary to the police report, were found in the yard next door to Atkinson’s home and not in his yard. She added that there was a gap in the fence that was used to transfer the rifles into her client’s yard.
Parag also claimed that Atkinson was severely beaten in his abdominal area by police after he was taken into custody.
But Police Prosecutor Corporal Simone Payne, objecting to bail, made, maintained that the attorney’s facts differed from those of the police. The firearms, Payne said, were found in long blue jeans at the back of Atkinson’s yard and when he was confronted by the police, he admitted to the offence.
Bail was denied and the case was transferred to Court 1 for fixtures.
