BV labourer remanded for gun bust at Stabroek Market

Hubert Clarke was hauled before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday to be charged for the unlawful possession of a firearm, several days after Police swooped down on the 21-year-old construction worker at the Stabroek Market area and found in his possession a .38 revolver.

Clarke denied the charge when it was read to him by the Magistrate as Prosecutor Simone Payne objected to bail based on the seriousness and gravity of the offence, and considering the penalty attached to such a felony.

Attorney Dexter Todd, in an attempt to convince the court that his client poses no flight risk, stated that Clarke has a fixed place of abode at Beterverwagting Housing Scheme, on the East Coast of Demerara. He said on the day of the incident, his client was ‘grocery shopping’ on his way home from work when he encountered two acquaintances, one of whom asked him to hold a package. Clarke was reportedly in a stationary position when he was approached by Police ranks who searched his shopping bag and therein found the pistol contained in a black plastic bag.

Todd continued that his client awaited the return of the said friend in vain, subsequently being escorted by officials to the Brickdam Police Station as his counterpart whom he only knew by a first name, failed to show.

According to the lawyer, Clarke has since offered a name and description of the said acquaintance to Police who are lagging in investigations by not following his client’s story; not once making checks with the accused’s place of work to identify the real culprit. Besides, the court heard that even though the suspect is willing to offer a statement, the Police are refusing to take same for reasons unknown.

Todd in his lengthy submission attested that his client has never handled a gun and the firearm in particular is in an inoperative state being “old and rusty”. The gun is reportedly held together with tape. As such, the lawyer concluded there was absolutely no intention on the part of the accused to use the firearm for any purpose, having no knowledge of the contents of his shopping bag.

The youth was remanded to prison as bail was refused by the Magistrate. He is expected to return to court on June 14, 2017.