Accused tells court he has ‘never touched’ a gun in his life

A man who is on trial before the High Court accused of importing four firearms and over a hundred rounds of ammunition says he’s no rebel or gang member and has “never even touched a firearm” in his life.

Emil Bernard Williams, of Elizabeth Park, Christ Church made the utterances before a nine-member jury and Justice Carlisle Greaves on Monday as he continued to give an unsworn statement from the dock of the No. 3 Supreme Court.

Williams is alleged to have imported a 7.62 Russian calibre, semi-automatic pistol; a .38 special calibre revolver; a 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol; a .40 Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol and 103 rounds of ammunition on April 17, 2012. He is further alleged to have conspired with other persons to import the firearms and ammunition.

“I am not a rebel or a bad person that looks to be in trouble or has ever been in trouble,” Williams said.

He stated that when he was detained by police there were “some roaches and butts” in the vehicle’s ashtray, referring to the unsmoked ends of rolled marijuana joints or spliffs.

“But it can’t even make a spliff. Instead of throwing the roaches through the window I put them in the ashtray, a couple of them. They found it in there and they held that against me.

“I was never a gun-toting man . . . I ain’t affiliated with no bad boys. I work hard for everything I have . . . nothing was given to me for free, nothing was never given to me easily.

“In terms of the guns I never even touch a firearm in my life, that’s the honest truth. I have never in my life touched a firearm. I have seen it around me and what not . . . but I have no need for a firearm, not even a legal firearm much less an illegal one.

“The amount of firearms and ammunition in the case, what I doing with that? What could I be doing with it? A man like me . . . I am not a gang member . . . what would I be doing with these guns? What would I be doing with a hundred and something rounds of ammunition? I ain’t no trouble tree …I does try to live correct, try to do the right thing,” he told the court.

Williams added that he has two prior convictions both for small amounts of cannabis, one for which he received a bond and the other a “five-bag” when he was a young for which probation was imposed.

“Other than that I don’t get in any trouble at all … in my whole 44 years,” he added.

At the end of his statement, Williams’ attorneys Andrew Pilgrim Q.C. and Martie Garnes called one witness before closing the case for the defence.

Crown Counsel Romario Straker is prosecuting the matter.

Attorneys on both sides will address the jury on Tuesday.