Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton remanded to prison a 27-year-old miner accused of unlawfully having a gun and ammunition at Etering-bang, when the man appeared at the Georgetown Magis-trate’s Court yesterday.
David Ashby of 125 Albert and Sussex Street, Albouys-town pleaded not guilty to two charges of possession of guns and ammunition without licence and was remanded to prison by the magistrate.
It is alleged that last Wednesday at Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, he had in his possession a .380 pistol without being the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time. It is also alleged that on the same day at Eteringbang he had two rounds of .380 ammunition without having a licence in force at the time.
Attorney-at-law Vic Puran entered an appearance for Ashby. In his submissions he stated that his client is 27-years-old, lives at the given address and works at a mining camp. He declared that his client was severely beaten and tortured by police for a day, adding that no gun was found in Ashby’s possession “but the police are claiming that he produced it to them from some bushes.” Stating that the court at Kamarang sits four times a year, the defence counsel asked that bail be granted as the likelihood of an early trial is rather dim.
Objecting to bail being granted, police prosecutor Shellon Daniels stated that the charges arose after police were investigating an alleged robbery in the area and went to the defendant’s camp. She declared that Ashby took the police to an area “about four feet” away from his camp and showed the weapon to them.
Bail was refused and Puran further asked that his client be seen by a doctor as he reiterated that Ashby was beaten by police. “His buttocks are all swollen,” he stated.
The magistrate assented to his request and ordered that Ashby be taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital to be examined by a doctor and a report presented to the magistrate at Kamarang.
She then set the matter for trial on December 17 at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.
