Sophia youth, 16, charged over guns, ammo after being returned to custody

A day after being returned to police custody by his mother, a Sophia minor was yesterday remanded to the juvenile holding centre on charges of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition.

The 16-year-old was charged with the offence of unlawful possession of two firearms and ammunition, to which he pleaded not guilty, when he appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

He was remanded to the juvenile holding centre until May 10th, when he is scheduled to make his next court appearance.

Additionally, Christopher Marques, a welder of Lot 1143 ‘B’ Field, Sophia, was charged separately with the same offences.

Marques pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded to prison until May 28th.

The teenager escaped custody on Saturday and was recaptured and returned to the police on Sunday. The teen and Marques were among three persons who were arrested in Sophia last Friday.

During an operation, police seized a .40 Taurus pistol with six live rounds, two .32 special revolvers with four live rounds and seventy nine grammes of cannabis sativa.

Police on Friday said that the teen was also being investigated for an alleged armed robbery committed on a resident in Sophia on Thursday night.