Patrick to pay for gun, ammo offences

Dorian Lee Patrick has been ordered to pay a total of $25 000 in fines on firearm-related charges or face imprisonment for just over two years.

The first-time offender had pleaded guilty to having an illegal .380 high-point semi-automatic pistol and six rounds of ammunition, along with being in possession of 4.1 grams of cannabis and cultivating the controlled drug on December 14, 2020.

Handing down the sentence on Monday in Supreme Court No. 3, Madam Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell ordered the Harbour View, Pinelands, St Michael man to pay $2 200 forthwith for the gun offence with the remaining $17 800 to be paid in eight months, and $5 000 forthwith for the ammunition possession.

Regarding the two drug counts, Patrick was convicted, reprimanded and discharged for possession and sentenced to three months for cultivation, which was given as time served.

In considering both the aggravating and mitigating factors of the case, Madam Justice Smith-Bovell said there was no evidence that the firearm was used.

She noted, however, that Patrick’s story about how he came into possession of the gun had changed from him having found the firearm outside of his house and keeping it for his use to him having stolen the gun. 

The judge said both showed he intended to keep the weapon. She also noted that the firearm was loaded and ready for use.

A mitigating factor was that both the gun and ammunition were recovered.

“It is totally against the culture and social norms of this country for persons to have and use unlicensed firearms indiscriminately. Firearms engender a sense of fear in citizens. The unlawful possession and use of firearms is of grave danger to society,” Justice Smith-Bovell said.

Saying Patrick was found to have a medium to high risk of reoffending, the judge stated that his early guilty plea and genuine remorse had gone in his favour.

She stated that one of the mitigating factors regarding the drug offences was that the quantity of cannabis in his possession was small.

She imposed a starting sentence of eight years from which a year was deducted for mitigating factors. The judge then made several other deductions, including the 709 days Patrick spent on remand up until November 2022, and the 205 days until sentencing, leaving him with a sentence of two years and 59 days to spend in prison if the fines are not paid. ]]>