Man Fined for Supplying Illegal Firearm in Barbados Court: Justice Raises Concerns Over Seriousness of Offence

Supplying an illegal firearm to someone is an extremely serious offence.

So said Justice Randall Worrell as he fined C’Keimo Leroy Daren Best for the offence in the No. 2 Supreme Court.

Best, of Edgehill Terrace, St Thomas, had pleaded guilty to supplying a .45ACP semi-automatic firearm to Jonell Williams on February 17, 2019.

He was represented by attorney Kellyanne Blackman, while Principal State Counsel Oliver Thomas prosecuted.

Justice Worrell ordered him to pay $10 000 forthwith or spend 550 days in prison.

He said Best should not have had the illegal weapon “in the first place”, even if “you were taking it to another”.

“That is an extremely serious matter,” the judge told him.

He said he had considered the facts in the matter, as well as Best’s age, his previously clean record and that he had thrown himself at the mercy of the court.

He determined that four years was an appropriate starting sentence.

“Clearly there is a distinction between supplying and possession,” the judge noted.

He then deducted one third for Best’s guilty plea, as well as the six months he spent on remand, before imposing the fine. (HLE)