A youth, who was allegedly held by police with three shotguns and a large quantity of ammunition, was yesterday refused bail by a city court after being charged with possession of an illegal gun and ammunition.
Wenson Thompson, 19, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman and he was charged with having two 16-gauge Brazilian-made single-barrel shotguns and a 20-gauge Brazilian-made single-barrel shotgun on August 20, at Karasabai Village.
He was also accused of having 100 12-gauge shotgun cartridges, 35 20-gauge shotgun cartridges and 43 16-gauge shotgun cartridges.
According to the prosecution’s case, the guns and ammunition were found in Thompson’s bag.
Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick stated that police had requested to search the defendant and another individual, however, while Thompson complied, the other man ran away. A search of the bag led to the discovery of the articles and Thompson was charged.
Jerome Khan, Thompson’s lawyer, presented a different version of events. He said the police had arrested another man who had on his person a haversack containing the articles.
Khan said the suspect ran away but his client, who happened to be nearby at the time, was asked to go to the police station as he witnessed the man’s escape.
While there, however, he was accused of being the owner of the bag, although he denied its ownership and denied knowing the man who had escaped.
Khan made an application for bail, claiming special reasons existed, such as the fact that multiple persons were there and that the articles were not found in Thompson’s possession.
He also pointed out that the Lethem Magistrate’s Court, to which the matters would have to be transferred, holds its sittings quarterly, with the next hearing being August 29.
Bail was refused and the case has been adjourned to September 8, when it is due to be called before the Chief Magistrate for assignment.
