Jailed for having gun

A man who hid a gun with ammunition under the mattress of his ailing 94-year-old grandfather was yesterday sentenced by a Couva magistrate to two years in prison with hard labour. Leslie Ashton, 20, of Centenary Street, Dow Village, California pleaded guilty before Magistrate Siumongal Ramsaran. In his defence, Ashton said he had the weapon to protect his grandfather who has prostate cancer. He said he takes care of his grandfather. Ashton added that because the yard of the house is not fenced, anyone can walk in and do the grandfather anything.

Sgt Ken Ali of the Couva CID charged him. Yesterday court prosecutor Sgt Lincoln Bonnet told Siumongal that at about 5.50 pm on Friday, Sgt Ali and other police from Central Division searched Ashton’s home. They found a revolver and six rounds of ammunition under a mattress on which the grandfather was laying.

Upon arrest, Ashton said, “I was keeping that to protect my grandfather and family.” At the hearing yesterday Ashton said he was “man-ing” for having the gun.

He had previous convictions in 2014 for possession of a firearm and ammunition in which he was fined.