A taxi driver was on Thursday remanded to prison when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, slapped with an illegal gun possession charge.
Leon Anthony Welcome of Lot 794 Pattensen, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, denied the charge which stated that on September 17 at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, he had in his possession one Taurus revolver, when he was not the holder of a firearm licence.
Welcome was represented by Attorney-at-Law Steven Roberts, who told the court during his bail application that at the time of the search, his client had just collected his vehicle from a man named Alfred Gray. The lawyer proceeded to request for bail to be granted in a reasonable sum to his client.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on September 17, ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on information, went to KC Taxi Service, where the 44-year-old is employed as a taxi driver.
The ranks, the Prosecutor said, conducted a search of the car, HC 1647, and the firearm was found under the driver’s seat.
According to the Prosecutor, the defendant was then told of the offence, in which he replied, “Alfred left the gun in my car the night before”.
The Prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offence and the penalty the charge attracts. He then pointed out that the defendant had clear knowledge and constructive possession of the firearm.
The Chief Magistrate, after listening to the facts, remanded Welcome to prison and the case was adjourned to October 11.
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