New Montrose man jailed 39 months for gun hidden in face mask
A 42-year-old man found with an unlicensed revolver and ammunition in his bedroom has been sentenced to 39 months in prison by the Serious Offences Court.
New Montrose man sentenced to 39 months after revolver found hidden in face mask
A 42-year-old man from New Montrose has been jailed for 39 months after police discovered an unlicensed Taurus .38 Special revolver and 10 rounds of ammunition concealed inside a face mask in his bedroom, iWitness News reports.
Cordewell James appeared before Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offences Court, facing charges of unlicensed possession of a firearm and ammunition under the Firearms Act. He pleaded guilty to both counts.
James asked the court for leniency, requesting a fine rather than a custodial sentence. He told the court he felt "embarrassed" that he had not already disposed of the weapon, noting that his father had urged him to hand it in.
"Officer is forget I forget I had it there. Ah done change me life and baptised and ah bin done plan fu throw it way, and bin thinking to bring it in, but ah was fraid alyo wudda lock me up," James told the arresting officer under caution.
John rejected the request for a non-custodial sentence, noting that penalties for firearm offences had increased significantly. "We can't just slap you on the wrist," the chief magistrate said.
Early-morning search
On 4 October, at approximately 6:10 a.m., police officers including PC 206 Morgan executed a joint operation at James' home in New Montrose under a search warrant. James was present and consented to the search after the warrant was read to him.
No illegal items were found on his person. Officers then searched his bedroom, where PC Morgan — in the presence of James and PC 73 Jack — located a plastic container on the floor. Inside, beneath several pieces of clothing, was a heavy black plastic bag.
Within the bag, officers found a black face mask bearing a red symbol, wrapped around a heavy object. When unwrapped, it revealed a silver metallic object resembling a firearm loaded with six rounds of ammunition. A separate transparent plastic bag contained five additional rounds. Station Sergeant Julian Cain subsequently examined the weapon and confirmed it was functional, with the ammunition consisting of live rounds.
Prosecutor Renwick Cato also informed the court that investigators recovered one spent shell alongside the live rounds — a detail Chief Magistrate John weighed in his sentencing remarks.
Sentence and aggravating factors
John set a starting point at 50% of the 10-year maximum penalty. Though there were no aggravating factors specific to the offence or offender in St Vincent, the court took into account a previous firearm-related conviction for which James had been incarcerated in Guyana.
Mitigating factors recognised by the court included James' genuine remorse and his cooperation with police during the search. His early guilty plea earned a one-third discount on the sentence.
John sentenced James to 39 months in prison for the firearm offence and one year for the ammunition charge, with both sentences to run concurrently. The revolver was ordered confiscated.
Before delivering the final orders, the chief magistrate cited the high number of gun-related homicides recorded this year, stating that the court had an obligation to send a strong deterrent message to the public.
Source: iWitness News