Derek Achong
Senior Reporter
derek.achong@guardian.co.tt
A 36-year-old factory worker from Chaguanas has been acquitted of being in possession of a semi-automatic pistol modified to be fully automatic.
Akiel Morris was found not guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition at the end of his judge-alone trial before Justice Nalini Singh.
The charges against Morris stemmed from his arrest on February 13, 2024.
Police officers were on mobile patrol along Bhagaloo Street in Enterprise, Chaguanas, when they approached a group of ten men, who were liming at the side of the road.
They alleged that one of the men, who they claimed was Morris, ran away into an abandoned house.
They followed the man inside and arrested him after they allegedly found a loaded pistol and a spare magazine tucked in the waist of his pants.
Morris was not allowed to elect a summary trial before a magistrate as the gun was considered a prohibited weapon, under the Firearms Amendment Act 2023, based on the purported modification.
His trial began last Thursday and ended on Monday with Justice Singh reserving her judgment.
During the trial, Morris’ lawyer Adam Roberts contended that police officers found the gun in the abandoned house and not on Morris.
He claimed that the two police officers, who testified in the case, colluded to fabricate the case against Morris.
Roberts noted that their witness statements were almost identical and contained similar errors. He also raised inconsistencies in their testimony before Justice Singh.
Roberts also noted that while the officers claimed that Morris admitted that he had the gun for personal protection, they never made a note in their personal diaries.
He pointed out that a third officer, who was not on the scene to hear the alleged admission, made the note referencing the statement in a station diary.
After considering the evidence, Justice Singh found issues with the officers’ credibility.
The case was prosecuted by Maria Lyons-Edwards.
