Guard gets two years jail over illegal gun, ammo

A security guard will be spending the next two years in jail after he was found guilty of having an illegal gun and ammunition in his possession.

Julian Winter, 43, was sentenced at the conclusion of his trial by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He had pleaded not guilty to charges that on July 31, at Georgetown, he had an unlicensed Taurus revolver and seven rounds of ammunition in his possession.

Magistrate Azore ordered that he serve a period of two years for each offence and to be served concurrently and she also fined him $50,000 for each offence.

At Winter’s arraignment, Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had said that he was a security guard attached to Toolsie Persaud Limited but was not authorised to carry a firearm.

According to Mangru, he was seen by a police officer at the Stabroek Market area placing the gun on a table. The prosecutor said that when the officer approached Winter to ascertain what he was doing with the firearm and whether he was licensed to carry it and the ammunition, he admitted that he was not and this led to his arrest and charge.

Five witnesses testified during the trial.

Winter, who was unrepresented, asked the court for leniency, while noting that he is a married man and had a wife and children to take care of.