A Mahdia man was yesterday placed on $25,000 bail after appearing before a city court charged with discharging a firearm in a public place and threatening a police officer.
It is alleged that Lennox Dettering, 27, on October 8, while at 111 Miles Mahdia, Potaro Road, discharged a firearm in the vicinity of Sunil’s Grocery Shop. Dettering was further accused of using threatening language towards Constable Henry, pointing a gun at the officer, and shouting, “If you want it, come for it. If yuh feel yuh could tek it, come for it!”
The defendant, of 17 Miles Mahdia, pleaded not guilty to the charges read.
Dettering was represented by attorney Gordon Gilhuys, who told the court that the night the incident occurred was his client’s birthday and he had been out with some friends. He reported that Dettering’s friends had lit some squibs and police had turned up later and accused the man of firing rounds. Gilhuys claimed that the ranks conducted a search on Dettering but had found no gun in his possession.
The attorney called the second charge against his client a fabrication and told the court that there were witnesses available to testify in the matter.
Gilhuys noted that the defendant had no prior brushes with the law and requested that reasonable bail be granted to him.
Although an objection to the request was made by police prosecutor Deniro Jones, Dettering was granted bail in the sum of $25,000 by Magistrate Ann McLennan and the man will be required to make his next court appearance on October 20 at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.
