Cops spotted man discarding gun -court hears

Magistrate Hazel Octave- Hamilton yesterday remanded a 19-year-old man who was held for allegedly having possession of an unlicensed pistol that police saw him throwing away.

Colwin Mercurius, who appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, pleaded not guilty to the charge that he had in his possession a .380 Berretta pistol without licence as well as six .380 rounds of ammunition. He allegedly committed the offences on August 4, at East La Penitence, Georgetown.

According to the case presented to the court by prosecutor Venetta Pindar, on the day in question the accused was seen by the police taking the firearm out of his waistband and he was subsequently seen throwing it out of a window. When given a chance to speak, Mercurius said, “The police held another man together with me but they free the other man.”

The Magistrate, however, told the unrepresented Mercurius that he needs to advance special circumstances for the bail application to be considered. As a result, the prosecution objected to bail because no special circumstances were advanced to the court by the accused.

Mercurius was subsequently remanded to prison and the matter was fixed for October 18.