A 19-year-old from Fond Cole and a middle-aged man from Castle Bruce are now inmates at the Stock Farm Prison after they both pleaded guilty to separate offenses of possession of firearms.
On July 23, 2022, at about 1:30 am on Kings Lane in Roseau, the police were on foot patrol when they met Anselm Florent and other friends.
Florent, they stated was acting in a suspicious manner and they ask that he allow them to search him since he was suspected of having something “illegal.”
He denied having anything “illegal” but consented to the search and during the search a .25 pistol fell from his person, he was asked about it but denied knowledge of the firearm and started to resist the police. He was subdued and arrested and in court pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm without a license and pleaded guilty to resisting arrest. Although this was his first firearms offense, Florent is no stranger to the court, having been convicted of drugs and wounding offenses in the past. Both matters were before Magistrate Michael Laudat.
For the charge of possession of a firearm with a firearms license, he was handed a jail sentence of 25 months and for resisting arrest 6 months. The sentences are to run concurrently.
In the other matter, 19-year-old Rivaldo Alexander of Fond Cole was jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to possession of (2) two rounds of 12-gauge ammunition without being the holder of an ammunition license. The police on July 20, 2022, executed a search warrant at the home of Alexander where the firearms were discovered. He took full ownership of the firearms.
Meantime, in other court news, Shadrach Xavier of Canefield, pleaded “not guilty to the theft” of a bottle of Soca Rum on July 25, 2022, at Best Price valued at $5.00. He told the court he had two bottles of Soca rum in his possession paid for one and intended to pay for the other when he was stopped by the security officer on duty.
Bail was granted to him, but he had no one available to assist him and is now on remand at the Stock Farm Prison. His matter is set for September 23, 2022.