Fuster Elizee of Salisbury has been slapped with a fine of $7,500.00 and also given a two-year jail sentence suspended for five years after he pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition with being a license holder.
Elizee appeared before Magistrate Michael Laudat on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.
Brief facts of the case
On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, members of the Drugs Squad and other police officers were conducting a mobile patrol in the Jimmit area when they received certain information in relation to a Black Suzuki.
At about 2 am while traveling in an easterly direction on Herthford Road towards the Petro Caribe fuel storage plant, the police noticed a black Suzuki Swift car bearing registration number TP786 parked on the northern side of the road bearing the description of the information given.
The police pulled alongside the vehicle shouting “police” and giving commands that the occupants should exit the vehicle, but they did not. The police then went to the opposite side of the vehicle and opened the left rear passenger door, it was at that point that Fuster Elizee reached out for what appeared to be a firearm under his feet and sent it over to his female companion Diedra Bunche shouting “baby throw it.”
It was grabbed by the police before Bunche could get it. He was immediately removed from the vehicle and asked if he was the holder of a firearm and ammunition license and he replied, “no officer.”
He was then informed that it was an offense to be in possession of a firearm and ammunition without being the holder of a firearm and ammunition license. As a result, he was arrested. The firearm was a 9mm pistol with 15 live rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Mitigation
In his mitigating plea on behalf of his client, Wayne Marsh told the court that his client was “very sorry for his actions and remorseful.” He begged the court not to impose a custodial sentence on him and instead impose a “fine” that is “equitable.”
But in response, Magistrate Laudat stated that the country was “crying with the number of unlicensed firearms in the hands of people who use it for criminal activities.”
“The court need to impose rigid conditions on persons found with unlicensed firearm and ammunition…we have to remove them from our streets,” he said.
Of the $7,500.00 fine imposed, $4,000.00 had to be paid forthwith in default four months in jail. The balance of $3,500.00 is to be paid on or before September 30, 2023, in default 4 months in jail.
On the charge of possession of ammunition without being the holder of a license, he was given a 2-year jail sentence suspended for five years. The four thousand dollars forthwith fine was paid.
What about charging them for refusing to comply with the instructions by the Police? And the GF, did she know about the weapon? Did she attempt to snatch the weapon as her BF asked her to? If she did, she too, should have been charged as an accomplice. This dude got off easily. We have to be tough on crime. Hit criminals hard, especially when they have committed certain crimes.
His girlfriend was also arrested and charged with the same offences.
Editor
Well done! Kudos to the cops. Thanks, Editor for adding this bit.
This is terrible news. I hope the person who was driving the car is caught and punished.