Antigua and Barbuda: Young couple charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition

Antigua and Barbuda: A 21-year-old chef Terry Williams and 20-year-old preschool teacher Shanyea Crump from Nut Grove were jointly charged on Thursday, February 5, by the Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel in connection with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of Ammunition.

According to reports, the charges follow an operation conducted on Monday by the Criminal Investigation Department where they executed search warrants for all the premises located in All Saints. During the operation, when the officers searched the premises of the couple Terry and Shanyea Crump, they discovered a Ruger 9mm pistol and seven rounds of ammunition.

After which the officers immediately detained both the man and woman at the spot and charged them for having the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Following which on Thursday, February 5, the officers presented both the accused in front of the Chief magistrate Ngaio Emanuel where the accused were expected to enter into a guilty plea for having the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and to demand bail.

However, the justice denied bail to both of them as the Chief Magistrate does not have the authority to grant bail for such offences and ordered them to be remanded into police custody until their next hearing on February 9.

Following which, their attorney Wendel Alexander indicated that he will apply to the High Court for bail for his clients while emphasising that the couple are the parents of an 11-month-old child who can not survive without parents.

Considering this, the justice ordered the officers to bring the child and notably allowed the female suspect to breastfeed her child before being transported to prison.

This gesture of justice was praised by many people in the community as they are asking the justice to grant a woman bail so that she could feed her child daily or grant her some time daily to breastfeed her child while pointing out that an 11-year-old cannot survive without a mother.