$25 000 fine

A 36-year-old female architect was slapped with $25 000 in fines for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition which police found in her laundry room three years ago.

Racquel Thompson of Harmony Circle, the Belle, St Michael, was ordered to immediately pay $20 000 for being in possession of a .38 Smith and Wesson special calibre revolver without a valid licence, and $5 000 for having eight rounds of ammunition without a permit on July 23, 2021.

“A firearm is a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of such endangers society, so while I believe that you are not a danger to society, what you have done endangered society and for that, your offence is deemed as serious,” Madam Justice Pamela Beckles told the convicted woman who had pleaded guilty to both offences in the No. 5 Supreme Court.

Justice Beckles outlined the nature of the offence and the prevalence of such crimes in society as aggravating factors and gave a seven-year sentence as a starting point for the gun and four years for the ammunition.

Thompson’s early guilty plea, expression of remorse, lack of previous convictions and excellent pre-sentence report indicating a low risk of reoffending went in her favour, and two years were subtracted from the starting sentences.

Justice Beckles said: “I believe that you did know the firearm and ammunition were in your residence and how they got there. The area was an unsecured area and had your home been burglarised and these items discovered, one can only imagine the threat to public safety this would have caused. However, in order to maintain uniformity and consistency in sentencing and bearing in mind that other offenders in similar circumstances as yours – that is, first-time offenders with excellent pre-sentence reports, gainfully employed, who pose no threat to society – have received fines, this court will substitute the remaining period of imprisonment with the imposition of a fine which will be substantial enough to do justice to the case.”

The judge advised Thompson not to find herself before the courts again, to which she replied, “Clearly.”

According to the facts outlined by Principal State Counsel Olivia Davis, police arrived at Thompson’s residence around 8:30 p.m. on the mentioned date to execute a search warrant for an illegal firearm.

When she opened the door and the officers told her why they were there, she stated: “If any firearms are here, they would have to be in the laundry room.”

She directed the officers to that room and they found a cardboard box that contained a silver and black firearm in a blue pouch. The ammunition was found in a green plastic bag.

In her interview with the police, Thompson said the items did not belong to her but believed they were owned by a contractor she was in a relationship with. When the man was contacted by police, he denied any knowledge of the firearm or the ammunition.

Thompson was represented by Senior Counsel Michael Lashley.