Miner Godfrey Williams will be spending the next two years in jail after he was found guilty of unlawful firearm and ammunition possession.
Williams, 43, of Diamond Housing Scheme, was sentenced to two years in jail and fined $50,000 on each charge but the sentences are to be served concurrently. The decision came approximately five weeks after city magistrate Annette Singh found that a prima facie case had been made out against him.
When Williams was given the chance to lead his defence at his last court appearance on December 9, he was advised by his attorney, James Bond, to give unsworn testimony. In such a situation, the defendant could not be questioned by the magistrate or prosecution. The accused then told the court that the police searched him but did not find a firearm.
Bond subsequently argued that the prosecution had not proven to the court beyond a reasonable doubt that Williams had in his possession the firearm and ammunition they alleged he had. Reasonable doubt, he stated, means that the court must feel assured that Williams had in his possession the particular firearm they claimed, and he charged that any variation to the identification of said firearm creates doubt.
He then pointed out that during the testimony of a police rank conflicting evidence was offered to the court where the rank was unsure whether one of the symbols in the sequence of the ID number was a “6” or a “G.”
According to Bond, for the officer to state that he had inadequate writing and missed a number was an insult to the intelligence of the court. He added that the rank had a responsibility to the court, his client and the integrity of the process to properly identify and state the number of the firearm. While the magistrate agreed that conflicting evidence had been presented to the court, the prosecution had urged the court at that time to regard the blunder as a “logical mistake.”
James was last year charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The charges stated that on February 19, at Light Street, he was found with a .32 Taurus pistol and ten .32 rounds of ammunition. The prosecution’s facts stated that on the day police had received information that a white Tundra was seen on Light Street and ranks proceeded to the location, where they found the defendant, conducted a search and uncovered the firearm.
They then asked Williams to produce his licence and he reportedly told the ranks that he had the document but was not in possession of it at the time. However, it was later discovered that he was in fact not the holder of a firearm licence.
