Taxi driver charged with unlawful possession of gun, ammo

A taxi driver was on Friday denied bail when he appeared in court charged with possession of a revolver and matching ammunition without being a licensed firearm holder.

The charges against Timothy St Hill, 34, of 337, 11th Street, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, read that on December 17, he had in his possession one revolver and three live matching rounds, without having a firearm licence enforced at the time.

He pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him to him by Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Adrian Thompson, St Hill’s attorney, told the court that his client had no previous convictions. He added that the defendant lives in a home where four other persons reside and he was not present at the time the items were found. Counsel also said that St Hill was assaulted by police and he pleaded with the magistrate to grant his client reasonable bail.

However, Prosecutor Adduni Innis objected to bail on the grounds that no special reasons were advanced. The facts of the charge are that on the day in question at about 1.30 pm, police acting on information went to the defendant’s home where they contacted him and told him of the reason for their presence. A search was then conducted on his home and the gun and ammunition were found in his kitchen. He was the only person present when the items were unearthed, Innis said.

The magistrate upheld the objection and St Hill was remanded to prison until December 29, when he will again appear in court.