By PAVEL BAILEY
A FATHER was sentenced to 16 months in prison yesterday on firearm and ammunition charges.
Jerome Kelly, 30, and Niquel Simon appeared before Senior Magistrate Samuel McKinney on charges of possession of a dangerous firearm and ammunition as well as a charge of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.
On December 2, 2021, officers responding to a domestic complaint encountered the accused arguing outside Kelly’s residence on St Vincent Road. When officers entered the home, they found four rounds of ammunition on the ground and arrested both Kelly and Simon.
A further search of the premises in the presence of the accused uncovered a black pistol under a bed with the serial number FAN9504 and three live rounds in the chamber. This search also resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of illegal drugs as officers recovered suspected marijuana concealed in a large silver and black vacuum cleaner.
In court, Kelly pleaded guilty to all three charges against him while his co-accused, Simon, pleaded not guilty to the same charges against her.
The prosecutor, Inspector Timothy Bain told the court that Kelly had no similar antecedents and that his only previous conviction was a curfew violation.
The accused’s lawyer, Tamara Taylor-Storr, then made a plea of mitigation on Kelly’s behalf. She told the judge that her client was the father of two young daughters for whom he provides by working at a hotel. Ms Taylor-Storr asked the judge to be lenient in his ruling as Kelly admitted to his crime, is remorseful for his actions and did not waste the court’s time with a lengthy trial.
In consideration of these facts, Magistrate McKinney sentenced Kelly to 16 months in prison for the firearm charge and gave him an additional nine months in prison for the ammunition charge, to be served concurrently.
Kelly was also fined $7,500 for the drug charges or risk spending another nine months in prison.
Simon was discharged of all three counts against her.
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