Gun in the oven gets couple jailed for 10 years

| 10/05/2023 | 30 Comments

(CNS): Kevan Maxhoward Smith (29) and Sharis Alexandra Ford (28) were both handed mandatory ten-year prison terms Friday, following the couple’s conviction last year for the possession of a loaded, unlicensed 9mm pistol. The gun was found in the under-oven drawer of the stove at the George Town apartment where they were living. Police had searched the home after a complaint was made that Smith had threatened a man, but he was found not guilty of this charge.

Just a trace of DNA evidence linked the gun to Ford but a jury found both her and Smith guilty of the illegal possession of the weapon. The couple’s attorneys had both argued that this was an exceptional case because the possession was fleeting, and that the judge could depart from the statutory minimum jail time. But when he handed down his decision, Justice Frank Williams said there was “nothing that I can find that rises to the level of exceptional” in the case.

When the couple had gone to trial, they had both denied knowing anything about the gun, the judge said, implying that if they had admitted to possession and then explained the circumstances, things might have been different. But since this case was about possession of a loaded, unlicensed handgun and there had been no explanation of the circumstances, there was nothing exceptional for him to consider.

Neither of the defendants gave evidence at trial, but after her arrest, Ford had given a statement to the police saying she knew nothing about the gun and it was not in the drawer the last time she had looked there. Smith claimed he had been attacked by three men and was in fear for his life.

After ordering the gun destroyed, the judge confirmed that the time already served by the couple would be taken into consideration.


Share your vote!


How do you feel after reading this?
  • Fascinated
  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Bored
  • Afraid

Tags: , , , ,

Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (30)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    We have an island that is very close to us and their law is 15 years in jail, mandatory. If one is found with a bullet it is life imprisonment. It is laughable to read the news and debates in the states about laws against guns. when are we going to accept the truth that criminals always have a gun or another kind of weapon. Doesn’t everyone in this region have a butcher knife, machete, etc. Why are we being so stupid?
    We don’t manufacture guns, ammunition, machine guns etc. we don’t sell them neither. How the hell are guns coming into this region? Do you really think that there isn’t more guns hidden? If someone breaks in how will you or your family members defend themselves, Kung fu?
    Are we still believing this bs? Well I for one have my machete and if some stupid young person comes in the night into my house I won’t stop chopping till they stop moving.

    13
    5
  2. Anonymous says:

    Ecellent.

  3. Elvis says:

    At last a full mandatory sentence

    20
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      Bet they aren’t white tourists, who just get a fine and not even a stern admonition!

      6
      20
      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah it’s the colour of the skin that’s the sole difference. Because some idiot leaving ammunition for their legally owned firearm in their carry on bag is exactly the same league as someone hiding a completely illegal firearm in their oven.

        19
        0
  4. Anonymous says:

    While I am not against the mandatory ten-year prison term it seems very strange that these individuals are getting the mandatory ten-year prison term while a number of people have be caught entering or exiting the country with illegal firearms &/or ammunition that have not received the mandatory ten-tear prison term.

    28
    16
  5. Anon. says:

    Take that! Let that be a lesson to all unna out there with illegal firearms. Lesson one, don’t go threatening people because you have an illegal pistol. I mean why would you TELL PEOPLE you have something ILLEGAL?? Lesson two, unlicensed firearms are ILLEGAL in the Cayman Islands. I for one refuse to have my country turn into America, where every idiot has a gun and yet they pretend to not understand why there is so much gun violence and mass shootings every other day.

    If you think you need to own a gun, you’re living in the wrong damn country.

    87
    9
    • Confucius says:

      It is better to have a gun and not use it than to need one and not have it.

      CNS: Yup, that has really worked in the USA.
      U.S. Remains an Outlier in Firearm Possession, Gun-Related Deaths

      17
      15
      • Anonymous says:

        CNS
        I agree with the poster. I’m a Caymanian living in Florida, the great sunshine state or the gunshine state!
        It is definitely better to have a firearm and don’t need to use compared to not having a firearm and don’t have it!

        CNS: A lot of people think like you do and that is why the US is so messed up.

        8
        15
        • Anonymous says:

          Overall, US is great place to be. You should try it.

          CNS: I have lived in the US and I loved it for many many reasons. Nevertheless, the gun culture and prevalence of gun violence are insane.

          7
          7
      • Anonymous says:

        The US is an outlier in many ways.

      • Anonymous says:

        MAGA type supporter statement IMHO, ergo, brainless.

        10
        11
      • Anonymous says:

        It’s better to not have, nor need, a gun because you live in a place with robust gun laws. This makes it highly unlikely to ever require a gun for protection. This also makes for less mass shootings, suicides, accidents etc.

        8
        3
      • Regular citizen says:

        @Confucius – It is better to live in a society where one does not need a gun, then to live in a society where you need one. Regular citizens should not need firearms for protection. Regular citizens should follow the law and not own illegal firearms. If a regular citizen has a firearm, it is the job of law enforcement to take it away. That is how you maintain a safe society.

        In the US, rather than restricting firearms to military, law enforcement, etc., and making a concerted effort to remove illegal firearms from society, their approach is to flood society with more firearms. Their approach is to allow people to bypass restrictions placed on firearm purchases (you can literally buy a gun in the parking lot of a gun show, no questions asked). Their approach is to remove restrictions to open carry, so that any gun owner can open carry without a permit (like its the wild west or something).

        Our approach is to have a safe society. Let law enforcement do their jobs and go after illegal gun owners and focus on the bad guys. That way, the rest of us regular citizens can live our lives in peace, without the need to own a gun.

        4
        1
  6. Anonymous says:

    Good. I sincerley hope they serve the full 10 years and aren’t back on our streets in a couple of years from now getting involved in more serious crime.

    43
    3
  7. Anonymous says:

    What happened to the guy who brought in a loaded shotgun a few years ago on his yact?

    29
    5
  8. Anonymous says:

    Hope that sends a message to gang bangers and any unlicenced gun owners out there. Having possession of an unlicensed gun secreted away doesn’t sound like a fleeting event to me. Furthermore possession of an unlicenced firearm and a homicide conviction using it should attract a 20 year to life sentence with no eligibility for parole whatsoever.

    38
    1
  9. anonymous says:

    Great pun CNS

    29

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.