A Kamarang farmer was yesterday remanded to prison on a possession of ammunition charge after a court found that the fact that hunting is an Amerindian custom did not qualify as a special reason for bail.
Jaime Edwin, 31, appeared before city magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge that on December 4, at Upper Kamarang, he had in his possession two live rounds of 16-gauge shotgun ammunition.
Attorney David James made an application for a bail release for Edwin on the grounds that he is a farmer and a hunter. James told the court that it is a tradition that Edwin, who is Amerindian, would go hunting to get food for his family.
He also pointed out that sometimes Edwin would use someone else’s firearm to go hunting.
He further argued that while the prosecution would normally say persons from the interior would run away and not return for trial, his client was not a flight risk and resided in the community for many years.
However, prosecutor Deniro Jones objected to bail since there was no special reason presented to the court. Jones said being a hunter does not say that one can be in the possession of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence.
Edwin was subsequently remanded to prison and the matter was adjourned until December 15, when it is to be called at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.
