– tells court he was just having fun

A 27-year-old Venezuelan national was on Thursday charged at the Georgetown Magistrates Court for allegedly having two firearms in his possession.

The arrest was reportedly made last Sunday at a hotel in the Dukwari Backdam on the Cuyuni River where the accused, Jesus Rodrigues had sought to let off some steam by firing several shots in the air.

Rodrigues, when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, readily admitted having a .38 revolver in his possession along with three matching rounds of ammunition.
As he explained to the magistrate, through an interpreter, “Normally when we (Venezuelans) drink, we is fire off shots in celebration.”

He, however, denied the charge which said that he had a 9mm pistol and 17 matching rounds in his possession on the same date and location.

According to the facts presented in court by Corporal DeNiro Jones, Rodrigues was staying at the hotel, when the owner complained to two constables that he was scaring the other guests by discharging a gun in the building.

When the two constables went in search of him, they found that he was indeed carrying a firearm.

Said Rodrigues in a plea for clemency, “Yes, I admit I bought an illegal gun, but I never had any trouble before.”

His plea, however, fell on deaf ears as the chief magistrate sentenced him to two years jail, and fined him $100,000 for possession of the .38 revolver and matching rounds.
He was also remanded until October 24, when he would answer the other charges at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.