10 years to life: Stiffer penalties for gun crime Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

Government will be enforcing harsher penalties for those guilty of using illegal firearms.

During his presentation on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2022 on Friday, Attorney General Dale Marshall announced offenders could possibly face life imprisonment if found guilty of using an illegal firearm in more than one crime.

The Attorney General explained that according to the amended legislation that a first-time offender can receive a minimum of 10 years, however, an individual on their second or subsequent offence can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

“We say in this particular bill that a person who’s been found guilty of an offence, of a fireable offence, shall on conviction on indictment, in the case of a first offence, be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than 10 years, and not more than 20. In the case of a second or subsequent offence, be sentenced to imprisonment for life, sir, or a lesser term not being 20 years,” Marshall stated.

The Attorney General indicated that exceptions will be made in certain cases, such as if the offender was under the age of 18 at the time.

“The judge can impose imprisonment of a lesser term, if the person who committed the offence was under the age of 18, at the time of the commission of the offence.

“If the person who committed the offence has not been previously convicted of an indictable offence of a violent nature…or if the court is of the opinion that there are other exceptional circumstances relating to the offence, or to the person convicted of the offence, this justifies us not doing so,” he shared.

Marshall also declared that under the amendment, offenders will now serve sentences consecutively.

“[The Act] says this notwithstanding any law to the contrary a sentence of imprisonment imposed on a person convicted of an indictable offence under this Act shall be served consecutively to any other sentence of imprisonment imposed for an offence arising out of the same event or a series of events.

So the bottom line is if you find yourself convicted of more than one offence under this Act, we’re not saying you’re going to prison for this term, we’re saying you’re serving two terms – one after the next,” he revealed.

“You are man enough to commit two offences, well feel two sets of punishment – consecutively.”

The Attorney General asserted that the Government will not be handling criminals with care or “softly”. He stressed that this will be further evidenced with the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2022.

“People are saying ‘oh y’all, y’all soft’. No Sir. We are not soft anymore. We never were soft but the point is, we are saying now that our level of tolerance for the criminal and his foolishness has now vanished to the point where we are prepared to say that you can be subject to a sentence of life imprisonment on a second firearm offence,” he emphasised.

“… it’s not just about punishing the individual, it has to be about sending a message to people who may feel that they can do this and get away with it,” Marshall continued.

NewsAmericasNow.com