BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ONE of the two men who were in a vehicle within which police discovered an illegal firearm and a quantity of ammunition on Sunday (Jan. 3) was sentenced to serve three years hard labour at Her Majesty’s Prison.
A police statement said that the man, Adrian Webster of Sandown Road, Newtown, had appeared in court and pleaded guilty to the charges of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.
At approximately 10:00 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 3) during a stop and search operation, members of the Special Services Unit had stopped a vehicle in the Pond’s Pasture area and a search revealed the find of one M12 Pistol with a magazine containing 16 matching rounds.
The two occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody and were assisting police with their investigation.
They were subsequently charged but, according to police, the charges preferred against the other man were withdrawn after Webster had taken responsibility for the firearm and ammunition.
The police statement informed that Webster had entered guilty pleas to the charges and was sentenced to three years hard labour on each count, which would run concurrently.
That was the first illegal firearm to be removed off the streets for 2016. Last year, a total of 21 illegal firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were seized by police.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Crime, Ian Queeley stated that the seizure of the illegal firearm and ammunition as well as the conviction should send a strong message that the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force would continue to be vigilant in its efforts to reduce crime and violent crime in the Federation.
The statement quoted him as saying: “Removing illegal firearms from our communities is critical as we continue to ensure citizen safety. I urge our communities to partner with the police, share any information you may have about crime and criminal activity in your area. You can do so by calling any police station by calling Crime Stoppers, the anonymous hotline, at 1-800-8477(TIPS) to share any information. Let’s do this together, let 2016 be a year of partnership.”
