Thu | Mar 28, 2024

St Andrew fisherman freed of gun charge

Published:Monday | December 5, 2022 | 10:47 AM
The judge found Thompson not guilty based on a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies. - File photo

A St Andrew fisherman who the police say threw away a firearm and ran in 2021, was on Thursday freed of gun charges. 

Christopher Thompson, 41, of Greenwich Park, was found not guilty following a trial in the Gun Court.

It was alleged that about 12:15 a.m., on February 27, a team of police was carrying out an operation in the Havana community in Greenwich Park, where a man was seen along a pathway.

The lawmen shouted "Police don't move!", and the man, who was later identified as the defendant, ran.

Thompson was reportedly seen by the police dropping an object that made a metallic sound.

He was reportedly chased and held.

Thompson was arrested and charged.

Thompson, however, had maintained his innocence and during the trial his lawyer, Matthew Hyatt, argued that he was among several men on the pathway that night and that when the police showed up, they ran as they were in breach of the curfew.

Hyatt also highlighted several inconsistencies and discrepancies during cross-examination of the police witnesses.

Among the discrepancies he highlighted was what he said was the inability of the police to hear the "metallic sound", based on the distance they were from his client.

The judge found Thompson not guilty based on the inconsistencies and discrepancies.

- Tanesha Mundle

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