Vendor charged with firearm possession tells court he was disarming robber

Jan 22, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- A 31-year-old vendor was placed on $150,000 bail on Tuesday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer an illegal possession of a firearm charge.

Darwin Bennons, a resident of Meadowbrook Housing Scheme, was accused of possessing a Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol on the Guyhoc Access Road, Georgetown, without a valid firearm license.

Bennons, appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty who read the charge to him. He pleaded not guilty and told the court that he was disarming a man who attempted to rob him at the time of this arrest.

Vendor charged with firearm possession tells court he was disarming robber

Darwin Bennons (Vendor charged)

Police said that at around 23:00hrs on Saturday, police officers on mobile patrol received information that led them to the Tucville area, between Perry and Saman Streets.

There, the officers heard two loud explosions, which sounded like gunshots, and saw three men running east along the street. The police reportedly pursued the men and apprehended Bennons, who was found with a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol in his right hand. The firearm was seized, and the magazine was ejected, revealing that it was empty.

Bennons was asked if he possessed a firearm license, to which he responded “no.” He was then arrested and cautioned. Police also arrested another man, Ronald Gilbert, at the scene. A search of their homes did not uncover any illegal items. The men were taken to the East La Penitence Police Station along with the suspected firearm, which was dusted for fingerprints, but none were found.

Meanwhile, in court, the vendor’s attorney, Dominic Bess requested reasonable bail for his client, emphasizing that Bennons had no prior convictions. Bess explained that Bennons had been trying to protect himself when he disarmed the man, identified as Simon Ifill, who was attempting to rob him.

According to Bess, “My client informed me that on Saturday he was in the Tucville area when a Simon Ifill attempted to rob him of his gold chain. Ifill discharged two rounds in his direction and during a scuffle he would have disarmed Ifill of the said firearm and almost immediately after disarming Mr. Ifill, the police was in the area and he handed over the said firearm.”

Bess further noted that Bennons was an easy target for the robbery due to limited mobility in his left arm.

However, the prosecution objected to bail, citing Bennons’ prior charge for a similar offense. The prosecution also highlighted the seriousness of the crime.

After hearing both sides, Magistrate McGusty granted Bennons $150,000 bail noting that Bennons did not flee when the police arrived and voluntarily handed over the firearm.

Additionally, Bennons was ordered to report to the East La Penitence Police Station as a condition of his bail. He is scheduled to return to court on February 12 for further reports.

(Vendor charged with firearm possession tells court he was disarming robber)

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bail, court, disarm, firearm, robbery

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