Security guard says he stole service revolver for protection

Nov 30, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

…granted $150,000 bail

Kaieteur News – “I stole the gun for protection because people want to attack me,” a 23-year-old security guard said in his confession statement to police after he stole a Taurus .38 revolver and five .38 matching rounds, property of Professional Guard Service (PGS), on Friday last.

Horace Thomside at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Horace Thomside of Adelaide Street, Charlestown, a security guard attached to the PGS, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts on Wednesday before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaac-Marcus where he was charged for stealing the firearm and ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The court heard that Thomside confessed to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers that he stole the weapon and ammunition.

The accused was represented by a lawyer, who disclosed to the court that Thomside suffers from mental illness. The attorney pleaded with the court for bail in reasonable amount, pointing out that his client never had prior charges, and he assured the court that Thomside is willing to abide by any conditions that the court may impose.

The prosecution, however, objected to bail due to the serious nature and prevalence of the offence.

To this end, the Magistrate stated that the court is inclined to grant bail. Thomside was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 with conditions that he makes a report to the Kitty Police Station once every two weeks and subject himself to psychiatric evaluation at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) psychiatric clinic. The matter was then adjourned to January 2024.

According to reports, at around 07:00h on November 24, 2023, Olton Mars, a 38-year-old driver, signed for and collected eight .38 revolvers and two shotguns from Sabrina Henry, a 26-year-old duty officer employed with PGS.

Mars claimed that after he signed for the firearms, he placed them under the mat in the front passenger seat of the motor car he was driving. The man said he then went to Pradoville/Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where he picked up Thomside to take him to another site located at Saffon Street, Charlestown.

After picking-up Thomside, the duo went to Case Diamond on East Street, the New Building Society and Caribbean Airlines both on the Avenue of the Republic, where Mars issued a .38 revolver to each of the ranks on duty.

Mars said he and Thomside then headed to Saffon and Broad Streets where he dropped Thomside off at his work location and also issued him a .38 revolver. Mars then traveled to Agricola to issue another .38 firearm to a guard on duty. However, when he arrived at Agricola, he realized that a gun and five matching rounds of ammunition were missing.

The man immediately contacted Henry and informed her of the missing weapon. A search for the weapon and matching ammunition was done at the worksites to no avail. Several persons were questioned in the process after which the police was called in. This resulted in the arrest of both Mars and Thomside.

Thomside was interviewed by ranks of the CID. During the interview, Thomside confessed to stealing the gun and ammunition. He told investigators that the items were hidden under his bed.

Police were taken to his Adelaide Street, Charlestown residence, and a search of his bedroom produced the said weapon and ammunition wrapped in a sock.

charged, Charlestown, Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, gun and ammunition, t Saffon Street

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