SASCHA WIL­SON

A Princes Town man who claimed he was go­ing to sell his gun out of fear that the po­lice were now shoot­ing to kill has been jailed for 18 months.

Karl Richard­son, 29, a labour­er gave that ex­cuse when he ap­peared in the Siparia Mag­is­trates’ Court charged with pos­ses­sion of a firearm.

He was ar­rest­ed on Tues­day dur­ing an an­ti-crime po­lice ex­er­cise co­or­di­nat­ed of­fi­cers of the South West­ern Di­vi­sion Task Force and Pe­nal CID.

Court pros­e­cu­tor Sgt Starr Ja­cob said around 5.30 pm the po­lice stopped Richard­son at Gopie Trace, Pe­nal and searched his Ti­i­da. He was the on­ly oc­cu­pant in the car.

The po­lice found a knap­sack con­tain­ing a pis­tol and an emp­ty mag­a­zine on the back seat. Richard­son was ar­rest­ed and sub­se­quent­ly charged by act­ing Cpl Den­ver Marsh.

Richard­son plead­ed guilty and ad­mit­ted the facts. He told First Court Se­nior Mag­is­trate Mar­garet Alert that there is talk that the po­lice were now shoot­ing to kill so he was on his way to sell the firearm and get out of the life.

Richard­son has pend­ing mat­ters for at­tempt­ed mur­der, pos­ses­sion of arms and am­mu­ni­tion and rob­bery.