Jail-time option

Senior State Counsel Rudolph Burnett today suggested a starting point of eight years for a young man facing four firearm and ammunition-related charges.

He made the submissions in relation to convicted man Shad Gabriel Orlando Slocombe who reappeared in the No. 4 Supreme Court this morning.

Slocombe, of Block 1, No. 5, Country Road High Rise Towers, St Michael, had earlier pleaded guilty to having a .32 revolver and five rounds of ammunition on July 18, 2018.

He also pleaded guilty to supplying the firearm and ammunition.

Burnett contended that Slocombe was charged with “serious offences” and his punishment needed to reflect that.

In pointing out the aggravating factors of the offence, the prosecutor said the firearm was a .32 Smith and Wesson revolver which had its serial number removed, making tracing difficult.

He said the gun was in good working order and the ammunition was live.

Burnett told the court that Slocombe had been uncooperative with police.

He said the fact that the firearm and ammunition were recovered and that Slocombe entered an early guilty plea were mitigating factors.

Burnett said a pre-sentencing report suggested that the convicted man was considered at a medium risk of reoffending.

As a result, the prosecutor said he believed a starting point of eight years was reasonable.

However, he said because the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating points, the sentence should be adjusted upwards by one year, taking it to nine years.

He said a one third discount should be given for the early guilty plea, leaving a sentence of six years.

Burnett said Slocombe had been on remand since being charged in 2018, meaning he had so far spent “five prison years” at Dodds.

The prosecutor said the convicted man should be made to serve the remaining year of his sentence.

“A strong message must be sent to these young men who seem to think that they are living in some cowboy country. Day after day in this country someone is being shot dead or injured and we cannot allow our citizens to lose faith in our judicial system,” Burnett argued.

“The prosecution believes that this will meet the justice of this case and maintain public confidence in the judicial system.”

The matter is being heard by Madame Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell.