The lawyer for a Golden Grove New Extension resident, accused of gun- and drug-related offenses, fought heavily in the St. John’s Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was able to get his client off with a fine.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ezioke Henry appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh after being caught with a 25mm pistol and eight matching rounds of ammunition on his person in English Harbor.
One matching spent ammunition shell, along with 24 cannabis plants, were also found at his home.
Henry’s lawyer, Ralph Francis, fought for his client to be spared on the grounds that Henry was not known to the court, and he’d merely found the items that were in his possession at the time of his arrest.
After strong arguments put forward by the defense, Henry was fined $7,500.
On Friday it was reported that Police officers attached to the Dockyard Police Station were on mobile patrol when they came across the Golden Grove man near a bus stop in English Harbor, and deemed him to be acting suspiciously.
The officers said Henry was searched, resulting in the gun and ammunition being found in his knapsack.
They later executed a search warrant on his home where they found the other illegal items.
However, when the facts were being read by the prosecution in court, Henry appeared to be shocked by some of the facts of his case.
According to the prosecution, Henry told the police that he’d found the firearm and ammunition and was going to sell them.
Henry later told Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh that he did not make such a statement.
Henry pleaded guilty to only three of four charges before Chief Magistrate Walsh. Each charge was fined accordingly: $1,500 for possession of cannabis, $5,000 for possession of a firearm and $1000 for the ammunition.
Henry will pay $5,000 forthwith and is expected to pay the balance on or before the 28th of June.
If he fails to pay, he will be sent to prison for 6 months on the cannabis charge, a year for possession of a firearm and a year for possession of ammunition.