Man sentenced to prison, bailed…

By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

~~Adz:Right~~BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - A man who was sentenced to a number of years in prison for firearm and drug-related offences was granted bail after filing an application to appeal the court’s decision.

A recent police press release informs that Mattingley resident Phillip Lloyd was taken before the District “A” Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 on charges of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of cannabis.

The police are reporting that the charges were laid following the execution of a search warrant on Lloyd’s premises, which led to the items being found. The search warrant was executed on August 31, 2006.

Lloyd was convicted of all offences. He was sentenced to serve three years imprisonment on the first offence, two years on the second and one year on the third. As the sentences are to run consecutively, Lloyd would have serve five years at her Majesty’s Prison.

However, in what some may be deemed an uncommon twist, Lloyd was recently granted bail as he had filed documents to appeal the court’s decision.

SKNVibes spoke with Head of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s Press and Public Relations Office, Inspector Cromwell Henry, who said that this happening is not at all “uncommon” and explained that, according to law in magisterial matters, the court’s sentence has to be stayed until the appellate court has passed judgment.

“For magisterial cases, upon appeal, the sentence of the Magistrate Court is stayed until the appeal is heard, unlike High Court matters where the person remains in jail until the appeal is heard.”