St Michael man warned to have fine ready in firearm case

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onvicted gunman Shaquone Omar Waterman has been warned by a High Court judge to be prepared to immediately pay any fine imposed when he returns for sentencing.

Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell issued the warning to Waterman, of Odessa McClean Drive, My Lord’s Hill, St Michael, after he admitted to having a .380 ACP calibre Taurus semi-automatic pistol without a valid licence and nine rounds of ammunition without a valid permit on April 6, 2024.  

“Let me state here now, going forward if a fine is considered you have to bring all the money. Every cent! So if the fine is $20 000 or $25 000 you have to bring all,” Justice Smith-Bovell told the convict in the No. 2 Supreme Court.  

According to the facts read by Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod, police received information and went to My Lord’s Hill around 10.23 p.m., where they saw a silver Suzuki Swift driving along the road. The officers saw a dark-coloured firearm tossed from the vehicle onto a grassy area and stopped the vehicle, which had four people, including Waterman, the driver.  

They were all taken back to the grassy area and the firearm was recovered. Shown the gun and the magazine with the bullets, Waterman told the police: “Dem is mines.” The other occupants denied knowledge.  

Defence attorney Suthany Hall requested a pre-sentence report and a time-spent-on-remand report.  

Adjourning the case until September 25 for sentencing submissions to be heard, Justice Smith-Bovell warned Waterman: “You are going to be allowed to continue on bail but that is not to be taken as an indication that you will not get a custodial sentence.” 

(JB)