Duo remanded on gun and ammo charges

Two St Michael men in their 20s were remanded to Dodds until August 17 on joint gun and ammunition charges.

Jaden Shae Malique Arthur, a 22-year-old bartender, of King George Road, Bank Hall and Antonio Valentino Michael Joseph, a self-employed 29-year-old, from Powder Road, Station Hill appeared before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court accused of having an illegal firearm and 16 rounds of ammunition on July 16.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charges before Magistrate Kim Butcher.

However Arthur confessed to committing several traffic-related charges on the same date including driving a motorcar in a manner dangerous to the public; driving without due care and attention and failing to draw his vehicle to the left side of the road on approach of a police vehicle sounding a siren.

Station Sergeant Randolph Boyce told the court that lawmen were on duty along Collymore Rock near Pine Road, when they observed the car driven by Arthur speeding and overtaking a number of other vehicles. Police followed with siren sounding and beacon flashing but the driver increased his speed. He drove onto the Nita Barrow Roundabout, onto Bridge Road, Baycroft Road and then to Dash Road. The driver then drove to Prescod Bottom and Bank Hall Road where he stopped in an open area, attempted to flee but was held.

Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim who mitigated on Arthur’s behalf said his client had not wasted the court’s time with the traffic matters and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity for the “wrong” he had done.

“Fortunately no one was hurt,” the attorney said as he urged the magistrate to be lenient when sentencing the first time offender.

Magistrate Butcher reserved sentencing until Arthur’s next appearance in August.