One week after he was told to lead his defence to charges of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition, Kacey Chapman last week told a city court that it was one of his now freed co-accused who left the items in his car.
Chapman was previously charged alongside Sheldon Andrews and Adam McDonald with two counts of illegal possession of firearm and two counts of illegal possession of ammunition. The charges against Andrews and McDonald were dismissed after the prosecution failed to prove their cases against them. However, Chapman was called upon to lead his defence as sufficient evidence was found against him.
The firearm charges state that on November 26th, 2018, at High and Princes streets, Chapman had a .32 Taurus pistol and a 9mm Glock pistol in his possession without being a licensed firearm holder.
The two final charges state that on November 26th, 2018, at High and Princes streets, Chapman had in his possession 12 live 9mm rounds of ammunition and 7 live rounds of .32 ammunition, without being a licensed firearm holder.
Chapman, who was represented by attorney Adrian Thompson, led his defence through sworn testimony before Magistrate Rondell Weaver at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts 8&9.
Recalling the day in question, Chapman said that he was driving a hire car, HC 6573, around the city when he was stopped by a man, who he later identified as McDonald. He said McDonald, who hired him, had a black haversack on his back at the time.
According to Chapman, McDonald told him to take him to “the Gumdac music Place.” He claimed that upon arriving at Gumdac, McDonald, who was on the phone at that time, directed him to the Infinity Gas Station on High and Princes Streets. Once in the vicinity of the gas station, Chapman said, he was directed by McDonald to stop next to a white car at the side of the road.
Chapman related that after parking the car at the said location, McDonald told him to “hold on” and then disembarked the vehicle. He, however, left his haversack in the back seat of the car since he was yet to pay for the drop. He related that as McDonald was walking to the white vehicle, he noticed other vehicles along with the police vehicle heading in their direction in a line. He stated that after McDonald noticed the police vehicle, he began hastily walking north.
“The police stopped beside the car and the door opened on the right side and the driver and another rank jumped out and ran and chased behind him (McDonald) and he began running away,” Chapman further stated. He stated that McDonald was subsequently caught and brought back to the car.
However, during the time when all that was happening, Chapman said he noticed Andrews walking along the road. “I saw Sheldon walking and ask where his car was ‘cause I know he does wuk taxi at Confidential Cabs,” Chapman stated. In his response, Andrews reportedly told Chapman that he just came off of work at Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). “It all happen in two minutes,” Chapman claimed.
Chapman testified that the police then turned their attention to him and Andrews, and told them to submit themselves to a search. As the police were searching the car, Chapman testified that he was looking on as the police were searching the car and observed that they took out a black plastic bag from the haversack that was on the backseat of the car.
He said that apart from the plastic bag, he noticed that a cap, a pair of boots and a jersey were found in the haversack. The police then reportedly tore open the plastic bag and wrapped in a black jersey were the two guns. During that time, according to Chapman, McDonald was acting like he wasn’t in the car and telling the police that he wasn’t acquainted with the two men, referring to himself and Andrews. “Adam McDonald came into the car with the haversack,” Chapman was adamant.
Thompson then asked Chapman if he was video recording the police as they searched the car. “A colleague of Sheldon was passing same time and he video the thing,” Chapman replied. The video, which Chapman readily had in his possession, was subsequently shown to the prosecution and the magistrate. Replying to the question if he had knowledge that firearms were in the haversack, Chapman said, “I have no knowledge that a firearm was in the haversack.”
Prosecutor Simone Payne then crossed-examined Chapman and suggested to him that he wasn’t stopped by a passenger and that no one got into his car. Chapman, in response, stated that he was stopped and McDonald entered his car.
He admitted that he was alone in car when it was parked near the Infinity Gas Station and recalled part of his story of McDonald telling him to wait for him. Payne further contended that Chapman had knowledge of the firearms that were in the haversack. “I didn’t know! How can you work taxi and drive around with firearms in the car?” he retorted.
After the cross-examination concluded, Thompson revealed that the defence had one more witness, who was unavailable at the time, and asked the magistrate for an adjournment. The matter was subsequently adjourn-ed until July 8th, 2019, at 1:30 pm.
