Jamaican ordered to pay $15 000 or serve time

Jamaican Onickey Orain Reid was ordered to pay a $15 000 forthwith fine after apologising to the High Court for being caught with a firearm in Barbados.

Failure to pay the fine will result in his spending the alternative of 645 days in prison, which is the remainder of an eight-year starting sentence.

In handing down the ruling on Monday, Justice Pamela Beckles told Reid, whose address back home is No. 38 Fleet Street, Block #7 Apartment 2, Kingston: “Upon your payment of the fine or service of the time you are to be released into the custody of the Immigration Department for the appropriate action.”

Reid pleaded guilty before the No.5 Supreme Court to having possession of an illegal 5.56mm calibre rifle on April 29, 2022. The gun was discovered, by police, in the trunk of a car occupied by Reid and another person.

“I am sorry for being caught up . . . in this in Barbados,” Reid told the judge as he pleaded for leniency from the court so “I can return home to my family to proceed with my surgical matter and my life. I apologise to the State of Barbados for being caught with a firearm”.

It was revealed that Reid is suffering from a gunshot wound for which he receives medical attention.

Pointing out that Reid had no convictions here but information from Interpol disclosed that he had two in his homeland —  marijuana and assault — the judge made it clear that possession of a firearm is a “very serious offence” and “severe sentences are designed to act as a deterrent”.

She added: “The mere possession of a firearm can present dangers to the public, because it may get into the wrong hands.” The judge stated that while there was no evidence to show that Reid used the gun or that it was used in the commission of a crime, he also did not surrender it to the police when: “According to you, you found it. This type of behaviour endangers society and is unacceptable.”

But, having thoroughly reviewed all of the circumstances of his case and bearing in mind the need to keep uniformity in sentencing, Justice Beckles said the court kept in mind the fact that other offenders with similar convictions received fines. “I do believe that the imposition of a substantial fine, especially in a case like this where your required surgeries and hospitalisation, would meet the interest of justice and you would not be a further burden on the taxpayers here.”

Reid was given a starting sentence of eight years from which two years was deducted for his mitigating factors. From that time he received a one-third discount for his guilty plea and a deduction was also made of the 815 days he had spent on remand at Dodds.

Meanwhile, the case against another Jamaican national, Donald Aloysisus Pinnock, who had also been charged with unlawful possession the same gun was dismissed following Reid’s admission to the charge.