By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 23-year-old man, found with an unlicenced gun and over 50 rounds of illegal ammunition, was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday.
Police arrested Garth Armbrister after they found him with a multi-calibre rifle on January 2. The prosecution said police also recovered a black magazine with 18 live rounds of .223 ammunition, 12 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 23 live rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and an empty 9mm magazine.
He admitted to all of the offences during a hearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.
The court was told that officers found the contraband after they executed a search warrant on Armbrister’s Kemp Road residence around 9am that day. The accused was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department, where he took full ownership for the rifle and live rounds of ammunition when questioned by police.
During his plea in mitigation, Armbrister’s lawyer asked the magistrate to consider the fact that his client entered an early guilty plea and accepted full responsibility for his actions. He also noted Armbrister was extremely remorseful for what he had done and insisted that he was embarrassed that he had to drag his family before the courts with him as a result of his irresponsible mistakes.
On the day in question, Armbrister’s mother and siblings were also arrested and charged with illegal firearm and ammunition possession as they were also in the home where the weapons were found.
However, after Armbrister admitted to the offences in court, the prosecution withdrew the charges against the rest of his family.
After listening to the facts, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt told Armbrister if he broke the law, he should expect to face the consequences. She also said it was very unfortunate that a young man with so much potential would make a wrong turn and bring shame to his family. As a result, she sentenced Armbrister to four years behind bars.
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