Police pull in homemade gun on West Canal
Elroy Smith
Bruce trapp
A police raid at a residence on West Canal on Tuesday yielded a makeshift firearm and two rounds of live ammunition. The bust led to the arrest of five persons who were at the house. At about a quarter after six Belize City police, conducted a search of the property which netted a homemade shotgun, a sixteen gauge and a twelve gauge cartridge. The weapon which measures seventeen inches in length was confiscated. Along with the shotgun, two fifteen year olds, a seventeen year old stevedore, twenty-three year old Elroy Smith, an employee of the Department of Transport and Bruce Trapp, a carpenter, were taken into police custody at the Queen Street Precinct. This morning, the five men appeared before Magistrate Kathleen Lewis in courtroom number three where two firearm charges were read to them. They were each charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. In court, four of the defendants pleaded not guilty while the fifth, a minor pleaded guilty to the two firearm charges. The minor told Magistrate Lewis that men from George Street are after them as one of them had already become a victim of that gang. While he took ownership of the items, he claimed that he only had the sixteen gauge cartridge and that the twelve gauge cartridge was found in a yard and not on him. The guilty plea was accepted and sentencing was deferred to May fourteenth because the Department of Social Services has been instructed to assign someone to the minor’s case. Charges against the other men were withdrawn.
what a shame to have these grown up men encouraging these young boys in all this criminal activities, mein they should be “tabram whipped” and as for the young boys they should be in school or finding something productive to do in the community, they want a good lashing and send to do some work.
I am glad he pleaded guilty cause this was a loosing case.
He was charged with the wrong charge. The charge of “keeping an unlicensed firearm” can only be used on someone who has a firearm that can be legally licensed under Belize’s law.
In this case the right charge would have been “keeping a prohibited firearm” which is the category under which a home made gun falls.
I cannot understand why Mr. Barrow and the other that are in charge dont take drastic measures to curb the need for gun they know how these guns are getting into the country though the customs where some of the biggest crooked people work. But Mr. Barrow you dont care because you cannot identify with these people that are getting killed only for their votes.
Newark:Let me answer your question because his law offfice is going to run out of business.It’s all about the Mula.
Don’t you all get it??? nothing will be don’t about the crime situation at least not until you hear Barrows office gets shoots up again or better yet his home…….then you will seee things change dah this place. Strong advice for the ministers …….invest in some bullet proof vehicles and vest now because things will get real drastic pretty soon if something isn’t done…..