EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Alex Mendonca, a vendor of Lot 135 Vlissengen Road, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was yesterday refused bail by Chief Magistrate, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on charges of unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition. 

He pleaded not guilty to both allegations which said, on Tuesday, January 21, at West Ruimveldt, he had one .32 Taurus pistol and 26 live rounds of matching ammunition, without being the holder of a firearm licence.
Police Inspector, Michael Grant, prosecuting, said ranks went to the defendant’s home to conduct a search, saw a door slightly open and made their way in, where they met his mother.
They asked her for the defendant and she told them that Mendonca was in his room.
The prosecutor said the policemen explained, to his mother, their reason for being there and searched his room where the gun and ammunition were found.
They enquired of Mendonca if he was a licensed firearm holder and he responded in the negative, hence the present charges, the prosecutor said.
Attorney-at-law, Mr. George Thomas, representing the defendant, said only he and his mother reside at the house and they were awakened by the police in the wee hours of the morning.
They entered the home and had already started searching when they were confronted by the defendant’s mother, who is a potential witness to her son being threatened by the police to spend several years in jail, the lawyer stated.
Grant successfully objected to bail, citing the seriousness and prevalence of the offences and the cases were transferred to Magistrate Judy Latchman, for January 27.

(By Geeta Rampersaud)