Officer found illegal items in “secret compartment” in kitchen of bar

The guns, ammunition and cannabis found during an early morning raid at the Survivor’s Bar in Roach Village, St George were in a hidden compartment in the establishment’s kitchen.

That was the evidence given by Station Sergeant Fabian Griffith as the trial of accused Dennis Alphonso Maynard continued in the No. 3 Supreme Court on Tuesday. Maynard is charged with possession of a .40 semi-automatic pistol, a .22 semi-automatic pistol, 39 rounds of ammunition and 1.25 grammes of cannabis on October 6, 2018.

Griffith told the court that he searched the kitchen of the bar, in the presence of Maynard who was the owner, when a search warrant was executed on that date.

“While searching, the accused man said to me, ‘Don’t contaminate the food, I beg you. People does have to eat this…. You could as well stop searching. All I got in here is food’,” the police witness recalled.
He told the court there was a ledge above the kitchen’s swing doors, and he stood on a stool and removed a transparent bag containing plastic cup covers. Behind that bag was an unpainted piece of plywood, which moved when he touched it, revealing “a secret compartment”.

“I lifted the plywood and I saw that beneath the plywood was a silver firearm and a black firearm. I also saw a transparent plastic bag which contained rounds of ammunition, a piece of tissue with more rounds of ammunition, a blue plastic bag that was tied and vegetable matter, which I suspected to be cannabis, that was scattered on the plywood. As a result, I shouted out, ‘I find firearms, ammunition and cannabis’,” he said.

Upon telling Maynard about his discovery, Sergeant Griffith said, the accused man replied, “Find guns in here? You ain’t find no guns in here. Show me them then.”

When asked who worked in the kitchen, the accused responded, “Ms Parris.” Maynard also told the police officer that he had passed through the kitchen later in the day.

During his subsequent interview at the police station, the accused said: “I do not know anything about no guns, ammunition or marijuana. What I have to say is that my shop is being accompanied by workers and people who pass through daily. Also, people that host events at my place does get the opportunity to utilise the whole place.”

Sergeant Griffith also testified that Maynard told police that at the time of the event at the bar, one of the hosts contacted him at home and requested bowls and cups, and when he took them to the bar, he observed there were a number of people moving in and out of his establishment.

Maynard told lawmen he had not gone into the bar and while outside, he heard somebody say “police” and he was then instructed to head inside. He stated that he identified himself as the bar’s proprietor when asked and was asked to accompany officers during the search.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.