THIRTY-SIX-year-old Jeanette James of Saint Ignatius Village in Central Rupununi, Region Nine, appeared on Friday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan charged with having a .38 special revolver in her possession on November 9 at Manari Village, Central Rupununi, when she was not the holder of a firearm licence.

The mother of four pleaded not guilty to the charge, while her lawyer, Jerome Khan, made an application for reasonable bail. Khan explained that his client is the sole breadwinner for her family, and is in charge of the D&B Ranch, which has more than 45 acres of land.

The attorney further pointed out that several persons are employed at the ranch, where cattle, horses and poultry are reared.
The lawyer argued that bail should be granted to James because no ammunition was found, multiple persons occupy the ranch, and his client was pressured by the police to admit to the charge.

However, Police Prosecutor Corporal Shawn Gonzales strongly opposed bail being granted to the woman, citing the seriousness of the offence, its prevalence in society, and the penalty attached to the charge. According to Gonzales, police ranks acting on information went to the ranch and conducted a search on James’s apartment in her presence, and the gun was found on top of a cupboard.

James, the prosecutor noted, had told the ranks that the firearm belonged to her, and that she uses the said gun for her personal protection.

The magistrate ruled in the prosecution’s favour, since the lawyer failed to raise a satisfactory reason for bail to be granted. Thus, James was remanded to prison until November 28, and the matter was transferred to the Lethem Magistrates’ Court.