3 years jail for illegal gun, ammo

Hazario DeSantos, a 27-year-old miner was sentenced to two years jail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and ordered to serve an additional three years for a similar offence he was charged with and convicted for in 2017 in absentia.

The sentences, however, will run concurrently, which means he will only serve three years.

DeSantos of Princeville Pataro, Mahdia pleaded guilty to the two charges Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

The court that heard that on April 20, 2019, at Garraway Stream, Pataro, DeSantos had a .32 pistol along with six matching rounds of ammunition in his possession without a license.

Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on the day in question, ranks from the Mahdia Police Outpost searched DeSantos home after a report was made against him when they found the loaded weapon at his waist.

DeSantos told the court that he uses the firearm for protection.

Prosecutor Mansfield explained that in 2017 DeSantos was charged at the Linden Magistrate’s Court with a similar offence.

Mansfield told the court that DeSantos was released on bail during trial and failed to show up in court.

DeSantos was tried in absentia and later convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment on that charge.

The Prosecutor said that although an arrest warrant was issued for DeSantos, he was not apprehended.

He was also fined $50,000 on each charge.