Artesia primarily covers court stories, but she also writes extensively about crime.
The prosecution on Thursday renewed objections to the release on bail of a murder suspect accused of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Prosecutors allege that police officers found a 9mm pistol and 12 rounds of unfired 9mm ammunition inside an air conditioning unit at Mario Brown’s Baltic Avenue home on May 18.
At the time of his arrest, Brown was on bail for the February 2019 murder of Jamaal Kemp at Potter’s Cay Dock.
Brown maintained his not guilty pleas when he was rearraigned by Acting Magistrate Lennox Coleby yesterday.
While arguing to keep Brown detained pending his trial, Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom alleged that he was a threat to public safety due to his affiliation with nefarious individuals.
He said that Brown might not comply with the conditions of bail as he had a previous conviction for failing to keep the curfew associated with his murder case.
Brown was fined $7,500 and placed on probation for 18 months.
His lawyer, Wendawn Miller-Frazer, said that the prosecution had provided no proof that her client was a threat to public safety.
Miller-Frazer said the Court of Appeal determined in previous decisions that having a pending matter was not a bar to an accused being released on bail.
She suggested that there was some impropriety concerning the alleged discovery of the gun by the police.
According to Miller-Frazer, Brown was removed from his home four times this month and on the officers’ fourth visit to the home a gun “magically appeared”.
Coleby asked both parties to address him on unreasonable delay when the bail hearing continues on June 6.
