$22 500 in gun and ammo fines

First-time gun offender Pierre Decarlo Small was fined over $20 000 for his crimes after issuing an apology in the High Court.

Of the amount, $7 500 had to be paid forthwith. Justice Randall Worrell imposed the sentence on the No. 1 Mullion Lane, Gall Hill, Christ Church resident recently.

Small had pleaded guilty before the No. 2 Supreme Court to having an illegal Glock 9mmx19 semi-automatic pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition on September 13, 2017.

“I would like to apologise for my action that resulted in the incident,” he told the court moments before he was sentenced. “I just want to make wrong things right with society . . . . I would just like another opportunity.”

Justice Worrell imposed a starting sentencing of eight years in prison on Small, after which a year was deducted due to the mitigating and aggravating factors, bringing the sentence to seven years, or 2 555 days.

He was then given a one-third discount for his guilty plea and the 840 days he had spent on remand. A further 365 days were deducted for the delay in getting his matter adjudicated, leaving him with 499 days left to serve.

However, the judge said a fine would suffice in meeting justice in Small’s case.

He then ordered Small to pay $15 000 for the firearm, of which $7 500 had to be paid immediately. The balance must be paid by June 20 or Small will spend the alternative of 499 days in prison.

For the ammunition, he was fined $7 500 to be paid by November 29 or he will spend the same amount of time in jail.

“Try to stay on the straight and narrow, Mr Small,” Justice Worrell advised the convict who had been represented by Mohia Ma’at in a case prosecuted by Acting Senior State Counsel Romario Straker.

Small owned up to having the unlicensed weapon after he was searched by police at Warrens Industrial Estate.

Lawmen had found a sock containing ten rounds of ammunition in Small’s possession. When asked to account for them he replied, “They are mine. I just had them with me.”

When questioned about the reason for having the bullets, Small said at the time: “I had a gun with me but I throw it away when I see the police and run.”

He pointed to the area where he had discarded the weapon with a magazine containing 15 bullets, which was found.

During investigations, Small told police: “I found the gun and the extra rounds of ammunition and I took them and I buried them in my backyard.”

He later dug up the weapon following a shooting incident at his home which claimed the life of his friend, “just to keep it close for safety since I had no idea if or who would be coming back”.