All Saints magistrate imposes fines totalling $25k on Cashew Hill man who pleads guilty to illegal gun and ammunition possession

A man who was found with an illegal firearm and ammunition and taken into
police custody last weekend has been convicted. 
 
Reports say that Christopher Hope of Cashew Hill appeared in the All Saints
Magistrate Court on Monday, May 13, and was convicted and fined $25,000 for
the offences.
 
Hope, 39, pleaded guilty to both charges before Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel,
who imposed a $15,000 fine for possession of a. 380 pistol and $10,000 for
having 10 corresponding bullets in his possession.
 
Hope has nine months by which to pay the sum on the gun charge; failure to
do so will see him spending 15 months at His Majesty’s Prison. He was given
six months to pay the fine for possession of ammunition; in default, he will
serve one year in prison.
 
Reports say that officers from the Coolidge Police Station, the Special Service
Unit, and the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force went on duty at Cashew Hill
at about 6 p.m. on May 11 to execute a search warrant, but nothing illegal was
found there.

However, earlier that day, at about 10:20 a.m., the Police had nabbed him at
Jabberwock Beach with the gun and ammunition.  He was later arrested and
charged for the offences.