By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 31-year-old man who was caught driving around with an illegal firearm was yesterday sentenced to 14 months in prison.
Police arrested Christopher Strachan after they found a .38mm Smith & Wesson revolver and four live rounds of ammunition in his car on May 8.
He pleaded guilty to an unlicensed firearm and ammunition possession when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.
The court was told that around 10.30 that night, officers in the area of Charles Vincent Street saw a grey vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed. As a result, they pursued the car and used their fog horns, sirens and flashing lights to get the driver to stop. Once the vehicle came to a stop, they ordered Strachan to get out of the car and told him he would be searched for dangerous drugs and firearms. During their investigation, officers discovered the weapon and ammunition under the driver’s seat where the accused had been sitting. He was subsequently arrested. When Strachan was interviewed in custody, he denied seeing the gun at the time that it was discovered by the officers. However, when the firearm was shown to him during his questioning, he admitted it was the gun and ammunition that was found in the car he was driving.
Yesterday, Strachan was represented by attorney Ian Cargill. He told the magistrate his client had no previous convictions or pending matters. He also noted the firearm was not linked to any crimes and said that Strachan was a mechanic and car salesman with four young children.
In response, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt said the “unprecedented escalation in the presence of unlicensed firearms had a direct link” to the increasing occurrences of more “serious crimes” in the country. As a result, she sentenced Strachan to 14 months in prison.
The accused was also fined $4,000 for the illegal firearm and another $2,000 for the ammunition. Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt said if he failed to pay the fines, he could risk spending an additional 12 months behind bars.
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