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The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

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FRIDAY,

MAY 15, 2015

VOLUME 109, No.20

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

Most of the murders and violent crimes here involve the use of illegal guns.

by HAYDN HUGGINS

Defence lawyer Ronald Marks is known to have a record of cooperating with the relevant authorities in an effort to recover illegal firearms in this country.

DEFENCE LAWYER RONALD MARKS has asked the Court to encourage combined, co-ordinated approaches in an effort to take illegal firearms and ammunition off the streets.

Marks’ request came during his mitigation plea in a gunrelated matter at the Serious Offences Court on Monday. He revealed that the co-ordinated action by himself, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the police, the defendant Dave Sutton and members of the community, had resulted in various persons surrendering illegal firearms and ammunition. He noted that the police were able to recover three other guns and 21 rounds of ammunition, as a result of the amnesty. “We submit that this is the sort of community police work that will be very effective in the fight against crime,” Marks told the court. “Notwithstanding the seriousness of the crime, we are asking the court to encourage this sort of approach to address the serious problem of crime and violence in our community,” he suggested. The lawyer expressed the view that, if Sutton did not have a criminal record, the matter might not have even reached the court.

The matter Sutton, a resident of

Georgetown, was, on Monday, sentenced to two years in prison for possession of a 12-guage shot-gun without licence, and six months for having two rounds of 12 gauge ammunition. The sentences will run concurrently. Sutton was arrested after being found in possession of the gun and ammunition, by a party of officers from the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), headed by Sergeant Duane Bailey, while they were on mobile patrol at Georgetown on February 14 last year. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was granted bail; but changed his plea to guilty when he returned to court on Monday. Sutton had 14 previous convictions, many of which were for ammunition possession. Marks had also told the court, in mitigation, that “He (Sutton) has a history of assisting the police, and I believe that is why there was that trust between Sergeant Bailey and the defendant.”

Giving the defendant credit Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias told Sutton she felt he should be given credit. She took into account his

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias gave the defendant credit but had no choice, given the seriousness of the offence, than to impose a custodial sentence. guilty plea and the fact that he assisted the police in taking a number of firearms and ammunition off the streets. But the Chief Magistrate stressed the seriousness of the offence, as well as Sutton’s criminal record, and insisted that a custodial sentence would be imposed. Continued on Page 3.


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