A Kitty man appeared before a city court yesterday where he pleaded not guilty to charges of firearm and ammunition possession.
It was alleged that on January 28, Mark Calvan, 24, of 222 Pike Street, Kitty, had a .32 pistol in his possession without being the holder of a firearm licence.
It was further alleged that Calvan, on that same day, was in possession of three .32 live rounds of ammunition.
The accused pleaded not guilty to both charges read.
The prosecution objected to the court granting bail to Calvan based on the evidence against him. According to police prosecutor Deniro Jones, on the day in question, police were on patrol duty at Cummings and Church streets when they saw the defendant and another walking along, acting suspiciously.
As the ranks approached, Jones said Calvan attempted to run away. But the police held on to him and carried out a search, which led to them discovering the firearm hidden in the crotch of his pants, he added.
Calvan’s attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, however, told the court that the other suspect had in fact been the one who attempted to run away from the police. He stated that the other man had been walking along the street the same time as his client when police approached them, and that the man threw the gun into a nearby trench.
Fung-A-Fat denied that the accused was even acquainted with the other man, while adding that a confession or statement was never given by Calvan in the matter, nor was the weapon found on his person.
The accused’s bail application was denied and he was remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan until his next court date on February 25.
