BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE case of Leon Natta-Nelson’s failure to renew his firearm license in a timely manner has been adjourned again; this time until January 2020.
The matter came up in the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (Dec. 10) and was adjourned until the new year after Magistrate Donna Harris indicated that she was in the middle of a preliminary inquiry.
This disclosure was made by Attorney-at-Law Sylvester Anthony, who is representing the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party’s candidate for Constituency Seven.
Speaking to reporters outside of the Court, Anthony said: “The matter has been adjourned until the 13th of January. The Magistrate is in the middle of a preliminary inquiry, which she has given priority to, quite properly so.”
On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 10, 2018, police had issued a press release stating that Leon Natta-Nelson of Molineaux was formally arrested and charged for failing to renew his Firearm Users License between February 1, 2018 and October 7, 2018.
According to the release, Natta-Nelson’s Firearm Users License had expired on December 31, 2017, and he failed to renew the document within the lawfully stipulated period which would have been on or before January 31, contrary to Section 44(4) of the Firearm Act (2009).
It further pointed to Section 44(5) of the Firearm Act which states: “Any person who fails to pay the appropriate fee in accordance with the provisions of this Section commits an offence and, on summary conviction thereof before a Magistrate, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars and in default of payment to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not less than twelve months and not exceeding three years.”
Two days prior to being charged, law enforcement officers had confiscated the fitearm along with 25 rounds of ammunition.
Natta-Nelson was subsequently granted bail in the sum of $10,000 with two sureties to appear in the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court in December 2018.
On appearance in Court, the trial was adjourned until Monday, February 18, 2019, and there were further adjournment in September and December as prosecutors were reportedly not ready to move forward with the case.
