Plumber escapes sentence for buying revolver, bullets

Almost $40,000 in fines were Friday imposed on a man who claimed he bought an illegal firearm to protect his mother.

Shawn Nathaniel Slocombe escaped a custodial sentence but will have to pay the hefty fines if he is to avoid serving time at HMP Dodds.

Slocombe, a plumber of Emmanuel before Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell in the No.4 Supreme Court for sentencing.

He had previously pleaded guilty to having a .32 revolver and six rounds of ammunition on October 19, 2018.

Justice Smith-Bovell ordered Slocombe to pay $30,000 in 12 months or spend two years, 243 days in prison for having the illegal firearm in his possession and fined him a further $7,500 in connection with the ammunition.

That fine has to be paid in four months or he will spend two years, 243 days in prison.

The court heard that police conducted a search at the convicted man’s residence and the firearm containing the ammunition was found under the mattress of his bed.

Justice Smith-Bovell said even though Slocombe had fully cooperated with police and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, his deliberate attempt to buy the firearm was a very concerning aggravating factor.

She said this was the main reason for the overall total of the fine.

Slocombe has one previous conviction for drug possession. He also spent two years in a US prison on drug charges before being deported back to Barbados.

Justice Smith-Bovell said: “With respect to the aggravating factors of the now-convicted man the court found as a significant aggravating factor the deliberate and premeditated decision to set out to purchase this firearm, knowing full well that he had no licence to have a firearm, especially in light of his previous experience of having breached the law and being incarcerated.”

Slocombe is due back in court on September 24 to inform the court of his progress in paying the $7,500 ammunition fine.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Romain Marshall while Kevin Forde appeared on behalf of the Crown.