A teenager and three other individuals received bail on illegal firearm and ammunition charges when they appeared before the First District Court.
The court granted Shequan Joseph, a nineteen-year-old Marigot resident, Â twenty-five thousand dollars bail, cash, suitable surety, or land documents.
The other accused, Shervon John, 22, Dellian Gonzaque, 30, and Maximin Duncan, 32, received the same bail conditions.
The illegal firearm and ammunition charges against the four Marigot residents followed a Friday, May 10, 2024, incident.
According to the police, Special Services Unit officers conducting a traffic operation at La Croix Maingot stopped a motor vehicle occupied by four males.
A police release said an inspection of the motor vehicle and its occupants led to the discovery and seizure of one 9mm pistol equipped with one magazine and eleven rounds of ammunition.
The seizure occurred amid a violent crime spike that has so far resulted in 32 homicides this year, mostly involving the use of guns.
However, social media commentators have been strident in their criticism of bail for individuals charged with illegal guns and ammunition, declaring that it must be discouraging to the police while contributing to the problem by not sending a strong enough message to would-be lawbreakers.
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Shame shame shame these boyz ….guarantee already have new or used guns in hand now! What’s the point of not holding them?……smph
If this is what happens at a bail hearing for ILLEGAL FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION – how about just giving them a High Five and sending them on their merry way. I hope you understand that you have just sent the BANDITS back out to regroup….
Tell me honestly – how can this amount of bail be a deterrent in trying to solve the GUNDEMIC????? – Godspeed St. Lucia and please don’t blame other countries for your lenient & ARCHAIC laws.
Until the law change, we can bark how much we want. Magistrate do not script the law they can only impose fine to the max that are being stipulated. That being said Lawyers pockets are being filled constantly, a lawyer will charge a client nothing less than 5k per representation. Some magistrate are in line with lawyers base on representation and alignment, so in some cases where you find some are being charge hefty and some goes at S&S price then you figure out the rest. I have said on many occasions the law is an ass this is how it plays out.
Splendid idea, let them loose with their guns but lock them yp for owning a crystal ball. Your country is a laughing stock.