A first-time offender has been fined a total of $23 000 for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, as Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell highlighted tougher penalties intended to curb gun crime and the loss of young men’s lives.
Keshawn Kadarah Callender was ordered to pay $20 000 immediately for illegally possessing a .380-calibre Kel Tec automatic pistol and was fined a further $3 000 for possessing three rounds of ammunition on November 26, 2024.
Pointing to the amended Firearms Act, under which a first offence carries a prison sentence of no less than 10 years and no more than 20 years, Justice Smith-Bovell said, “This recent amendment by Parliament, which increases the penalty for firearm possession, reflects the fact that the illegal possession and use of firearms, resulting in the loss of life, primarily of young males in our communities, continue to plague society and it is the State’s intention to arrest this behaviour.”
The judge considered that the gun was loaded and in good working order, that Callender had made a deliberate decision to possess it, and the prevalence of such offences in society.
She reiterated that there was no right to bear arms in Barbados, adding: “The indiscriminate possession and use of firearms are wreaking havoc in our society. This behaviour of illegally acquiring firearms for whatever reason must be stamped out.”
The judge set starting points of ten years for the firearm offence and five years for the ammunition offence. She took into account Callender’s lack of previous convictions, his remorse and the absence of evidence that the firearm had been used to commit any offence.
The court deducted for mitigating factors, his guilty plea, and the 684 days he had spent in prison.
Stating that a custodial sentence was not the only sentence that could do justice in the matter, the judge fined Callender $20 000 immediately for the firearm, with an alternative sentence of four years and 46 days in prison if the fine was not paid.
He has until January 29, 2027, to pay the $3 000 fine for the ammunition, failing which he will spend 289 days at Dodds Prison.
The prison sentences will run concurrently if the fines are unpaid.
Acting Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod prosecuted the case in the No. 4 Supreme Court, while defence counsel Shadia Simpson represented Callender.
Police executed a search warrant at Callender’s home on Rogers Road, Ivy, St Michael, where a female relative told them he was not there, the court heard.
In the presence of the woman and another relative, police searched the home and found a red haversack in the ceiling. As officers removed it, a silver and black firearm with an extended magazine fell to the floor.
When officers brought Callender to the house and showed him the firearm, he said: “That there is mine.” An identification card and driver’s licence bearing his name were also found in the bag.
(JB)
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