Lester Roberts, aged 29 years, was sentenced on December 24, 2025, to 4 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a black 9MM pistol serial number-BTZM216 and also possession with ammunition without being the holder of a firearm and ammunition license.
Brief facts of the matter
On Tuesday, December 22, 2025, at about 8:30 AM, the police in Portsmouth received certain information and left on duty using police vehicle #GA613.
While driving on the E.O Leblanc Highway, in a northerly direction in the vicinity of the Canadian Medical University, they spotted a Toyota Hiace bus HE762 driving in the opposite direction. They intercepted the said vehicle and approached the driver and identified themselves as police officers, and that he is suspected of having an illegal substance and would like to search him, to which he consented.
In searching, something hard was felt in his groin. He was asked what it was he made no reply. In lifting his shirt, a black Glock 48 -9MM pistol # BTZM216 with a magazine attached to it loaded with live 9MM ammunition and also one live round in the chamber was found.
Asked if he was the holder of a firearm and ammunition license, he made no reply. A further search was conducted in a Navy-Blue Lacoste waist bag he had fastened around his waist, and 5 Blazer Luger 9MM ammunitions wrapped in a clear plastic bag were found. He was arrested and taken to the Portsmouth Police Station.
Investigations conducted at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) revealed that he was not the holder of a firearm and or ammunition license.
The offense carries a fine of $20,000, or 15-years jail, or both.
Mitigation
Roberts was not represented in the matter and, in his plea in mitigatio,n told the court that, “I am trying to help myself, my mom is diabetic, and my girlfriend is seven months pregnant…I am trying to help her and better myself.”
Sentencing
Senior Magistrate Michael Laudat told him that he was not deviating from the sentencing guidelines as stipulated by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
“The firearm was loaded with one live round in the chamber, and this adds to the aggravating factors. You will receive a custodial sentence, and the court’s starting point is 11 years,” he said.
On the mitigating aspects, he was given credit for his guilty plea at the first available opportunity, not wasting the court’s time, and causing no problems for the police, reducing the sentencing to four years.
“Possession of illegal firearms is a scourge on our society, and we have to send a clear message that this is unacceptable,” the Magistrate stated.
He was sentenced to 4 years in jail for the possession of a firearm without a firearms license, and no separate penalty for the possession of the ammunition, also without a license.
Roberts is well known in the court. In 2019, a nine-member jury acquitted him of murder but, by a majorityof 7 to 2, found him guilty of manslaughter in the death of his cousin Gerald Joseph in December 2016. They were involved in an argument when the stabbing occurred, resulting in the death of Joseph. Roberts was sentenced to two years in jail since he had already spent three years on remand.