Darrel John, who was charged last year with illegal firearm and ammunition possession, was yesterday found guilty on two counts and now awaits a probation report before sentencing.
John, 23, was charged with having a .38 revolver in his possession on September 27, 2015, when he was not the holder of a firearm licence.
He was also charged with having six .38 rounds of ammunition, four 9mm rounds of ammunition and two .32 rounds of ammunition in his possession, on the same day.
Trial Magistrate Judy Latchman found John guilty of being in possession of the revolver and the six matching rounds of ammunition, but found that no case was made out in relation to the four 9mm rounds and two .32 rounds after insufficient evidence was presented by the prosecution.
According to prosecution’s case, John drew a firearm and threatened to kill several police ranks who were on patrol, after they asked to conduct a search on the vehicle that he was driving.
It was reported that when ranks approached the vehicle, John pulled out the weapon and pointed it at the ranks before speeding away. A nearby police patrol was reportedly summoned and managed to stop the vehicle and search it.
During the search, ranks discovered a .32 pistol and several rounds of ammunition.
However, John yesterday took the stand and opted to give sworn evidence and proceeded to give the court his account of what had occurred.
He said he borrowed a family member’s vehicle and picked up a female friend from the seawall. He added that he proceeded along the Kitty seawall public road, where he was later stopped by officers, who requested that he produce his driver’s licence to ranks that were up the road.
John stated that he was requested to do a drunk driving test and he complied.
However, he said that when he was asked to sign a piece of paper, he told the officers that he had to read it before he signed it and he believed that this annoyed them.
As a result, he stated that a female officer began to pull on his hat and take his picture, which resulted in an argument between him and the police.
John stated that he was asked to proceed to the Kitty Police Station but when he complied, he was blocked by the officers, which caused him to become frustrated and drive off.
He said he was later accosted by two other ranks sometime after he drove off and he was told that they received word that he had in his possession guns and ammunition and were going to perform a search.
During the search, according to John, nothing was found and as a result he was asked to go to the Alberttown Police Station, where his vehicle was searched once again and nothing found. He said he was subsequently asked to go to the Brickdam Police Station.
He recalled asking the officers to drop off his female friend, who resided in the Alberttown area, and he was granted permission to do so.
It was while he was present at the Brickdam Police Station, he said, that the vehicle was searched several other times and this led to the discovery of the articles mentioned in the charge.
He was later arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in the same compound.
John stated that he recalled telling the officers that the vehicle did not belong to him and even presented them with the registration.
He later called Natasha Marshall, the female friend that was in the vehicle on the night in question, as a witness.
Her testimony supported John’s account.
Submissions were later presented by both prosecutor Kerry Bostwick and the defence attorney Charles Ramson Jnr.
Magistrate Latchman later ruled that she found that John did have knowledge and control of the firearm and ammunition, that he brandished the weapon at the police and had physical control of the weapon.
She further stated that she found the Marshall to be a witness of convenience.
It was on these grounds that the defendant was found guilty of the two charges.
John was not, however, handed a sentence by the Magistrate after his attorney requested that a probation report be done his client.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to September 2nd, when the report is expected to be given.
Magistrate Latchman stated that the defendant will remain in the custody of the state until that time.
