A High Court judge has shot down any idea that a fine is automatic for having an illegal firearm.
And, said Justice Christopher Birch, the time is soon coming when the courts will take into consideration whether the gunmen reveal from whom they received the illegal weapon.
“I think that we need to be very careful as we deal with these matters because there seems to be a growing sense out there that you get caught with a firearm the once, you get caught with ammunition the once, it is going to be automatic that a non-custodial sentence will come down the pipe,” Justice Birch said.
“That is a fallacy and I want to make that abundantly clear to everyone in this country because it depends on the circumstances.”
The judge made the comments yesterday as he dealt with self-confessed gunman Zareq Amir Pierre Grant, who was before him in the No. 5A Supreme Court. (HLE)
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