A man who police say pointed a gun at a constable outside of a Burger King was denied bail yesterday after a city magistrate heard that he has similar charges pending in the court system.
Jason Gonsalves, 27, called ‘Jason Burnette’, was remanded to prison by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus after he was read charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition while not being a licensed gun owner.
Gonsalves, who is a father of one, pleaded not guilty to the two charges, while denying that his client was linked to the gun and ammunition.
It is alleged that on June 20, at Camp and Regent streets, Georgetown, he had a Taurus revolver without being the holder of firearm licence in force at the time. He was also charged with being in possession of five live rounds of ammunition at the same location and on the same day, while he was not the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time.
The police prosecutor objected to bail while citing the manner in which the firearm and ammunition were discovered. According to the prosecutor, the police, who were acting on information received, went to the location in front of Burger King, and saw the two men acting in a suspicious manner. He said that the police approached the men but then they pushed their hands into their pants and pulled out something, pointed it at a police officer and the police responded to the movement. He said that the police discharged a round and the men ran off in different directions. One of the suspects was apprehended on Charlotte Street, while Gonsalves allegedly escaped. The prosecutor added that the police retrieved footage from the restaurant and in the video one of the men was seen putting the gun and ammunition in the garbage bin there. The police then retrieved the items.
Attorney Siand Dhurjon, who represented Gonsalves, told the court that his client was at home with his pregnant fiancée when the incident is alleged to have occurred. He said that following reports on social media, which identified him as one of the suspects, Gonsalves contacted him. As a result he surrendered to the police.
According to Dhurjon, the man has an alibi and he will be presenting witnesses during his trial. Until then, the attorney said that he is asking for bail for his client. He mentioned that the police have provided video footage of the incident and he noted that his client was never placed on an ID parade prior to being charged. He said that the police themselves have noted that it is a non-violent crime since no rounds were discharged. He also said that his client has a pending matter of the same nature and he has been attending court. Additionally, Gonsalves, who is the sole breadwinner for his family, has been in the lockups since he surrendered, Dhurjon said.
Principal Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus however remanded Gonsalves to prison until July 12 after listening to the prosecutor’s facts. She stated that she denied bail based on the pending matter and facts provided by the police. Before exiting the prisoner’s dock, Gonsalves pleaded with the magistrate for his release. He said that his fiancé would require his assistance. The magistrate was, however, set on her decision.
