Barbados Today

Accused man Richard Delisle Arthur today told a nine-member jury that he has been “one of the designated dealers on the dealership licence” of the Barbados Rifle Association since 2003.

He made the statement as he put forward his defence at the trial in which he is accused of unlawful possession of 102 rounds of ammunition.

“I have been responsible for firearms and ammunition. I and the armorer who repairs rifles and check ammunition at the Barbados Rifle Association for the full-bore team,” Arthur told the No. 5 Supreme Court today.

Delivering an unsworn statement from the dock, the Maynards, St Peter resident went on to give the court presided by Mr Justice Randall Worrell his credentials.

He revealed that he had been a member of the association since 1996 and held a number of offices including that of deputy chairman, small-bore .22 rifle captain, full-bore rifle captain of the 308 full-bore long range rifle team and the representative for the Barbados Rifle Association to the Commonwealth Shooting Society.

Arthur added that he was also Barbados’ representative to the Commonwealth Shooting Society, the Barbados Rifle Association’s foreign executive to the West Indies Shooting Council and the Barbados Rifle Association’s representative for the International Confederation of Full-bore Rifle Shooting.

Claiming that he was nervous as this was his first time before a court the accused stated: “I have represented Barbados as the full-bore rifle captain since 2004 . . . last year having won the West Indies championship for the first time in 52 years. Last year I was selected by the Barbados Olympic Association to represent Barbados in Australia in the Commonwealth Games. I am ranked 26th in the Commonwealth Long Expert Shooters [and] I am ranked 12th in the Caribbean as an expert marksman.”

On January 31, 2012, when the warrant was executed at his residence he said he “fully cooperated” with police.

“I have never been involved in any criminal activities neither before nor since January 31, 2012 to present. I have been holder of licences since 2003 to present. Last year I still carried and paid for my licences and was issued with gun licences last year,” Arthur said before his attorney Andrew Pilgrim, QC, closed the case for the defence.

The matter was adjourned until Monday when Principal Crown Counsel Alliston Seale and Pilgrim will address the jury with closing arguments.