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Two accused over weapons

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were separately sentenced in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday - one in connection with possession of a component part of a firearm and another for carrying arms.

Prescott Strachan, 25, stood before Assistant Chief Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans accused of having a black 9mm magazine without a licence.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $2,500 or eight months in prison.

The second man, Cory Higgs, represented by Attorney Milton Cox, appeared before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subosola Swain on a charge of carrying arms.

On October 20, 2021, in New Providence Higgs, who was reportedly found carrying a knife, was unable to give a satisfactory account for possessing such a weapon.

While the accused’s lawyer argued that the weapon was just a pocketknife similar to what he used to pick his nails in his youth, the weapon logged and shown in evidence was in fact a switchblade.

Despite this, during his plea of mitigation the lawyer asked that the court spare his client a custodial sentence. He cited Higgs’ early plea of guilt to save the court’s time and his clean record as reasons for the Magistrate to consider a conditional discharge.

In view of this, Higgs was bound over to keep the peace for one year. If he failed, he faced a two-month sentence in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

The weapon was ordered to remain confiscated and would eventually be destroyed.

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