A prisoner serving a three-year sentence got an additional four years after he pleaded guilty to three charges relating to narcotics, firearm and ammo possession before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton on Tuesday.
Leon Williams was charged with the possession of narcotics, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
On August 15 he had in his possession at the Camp Street prison 60 grammes of cannabis, one revolver and eight .38 rounds of ammunition. The man told the magistrate he did not want her to deliberate on the matters since he was already serving a sentence so he pleaded guilty.
The prosecution told the court that on the said day around 15:00 hrs, the accused was seen by a trade instructor picking up a parcel that had been thrown over the fence. She called out to him and he started running while putting the parcel under his shirt. The instructor gave chase and alerted prison officers. The defendant scrambled up a meshed fence where he was apprehended, but the parcel was not found on him as he had pushed it in a corner of the fence. It was seen by one of the officers and was opened and examined in the presence of the accused, the prosecutor said. The items named in the charge were found in the parcel.
Magistrate Octive-Hamilton imposed a $30,000 fine and four years imprisonment for the narcotics charge; $25,000 and two years for the gun charge and a $25,000 fine and another two years for the ammunition charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Shortly after the discovery was made on August 15, the immediate area around the prisons was cordoned off.
Stabroek News had learnt that a number of prisoners were questioned after the prisoner was found with the gun and ammunition.
