Mason on illegal gun charge remanded

A mason was yesterday remanded to prison on a charge of having an illegal gun.

It is alleged that on March 3, 2013, at West Ruimveldt Front Road, Derwin Harding, 21, had a .38 revolver without being the holder of a firearm licence at the time.

Harding, who was unrepresented by an attorney,

Derwin Harding
Derwin Harding

pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Police Prosecutor Alexis David-Hosannah said that the police were on patrol and they tried to stop Harding, who was on his bicycle, but he continued riding. David-Hosannah added that Harding was subsequently seen by the police dropping a gun from his waist on to the ground.
She said that he was later apprehended and charged.

Harding told the court that the police never found any gun on him. Instead, he said, an officer took a gun from out of his vest and told the other officers around him, “This is wah he had.” He also accused the police of assaulting him.
After hearing both sides, the magistrate denied Harding bail and remanded him to prison until April 22.