Tried on Wednesday, September 30th, in an expedited hearing for unauthorized possession of category B weapons and ammunitionA 29-year-old man explained that he collected cartridges to melt them down and make a piece of jewelry.
During a search of his mother's home, where he lives, the police discovered a bag containing 29 fired 9mm rounds and two unfiredIn his vehicle, they found, hidden in the ceiling light, his phone and an unfired .45 caliber cartridge, as well as another fired cartridge on the passenger seat.
In the dock, the defendant admits to having possessed a firearmIn a very confused account, he claims to have thrown it into some bushes on the Dutch side of the border on the day of his arrest. He also explains that he was collecting cartridges to melt them down and make a chain, before being told that this was not possible.
The police were looking for him on Saturday, September 26th, after thealert raised by his partner's 16-year-old older sisterShe reported an argument during which the defendant allegedly left in the car with the teenager and allegedly prevented her from getting outThe older sister also stated that the accused had shown her a handgun before leaving. The couple finally turned themselves in to the police station in the late afternoon. They were questioned, The teenager denied the reported acts of violence and kidnapping. Lacking sufficient evidence, the prosecution only retained the charge of possession of a weapon and ammunition.
Found guilty, the defendant was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, which can be served under alternative arrangements and at a a five-year ban on carrying weapons. The public prosecutor's office recalled the seriousness of the offense of illegal possession of a weaponreferring to the gun violence recorded in Saint-Martin since the beginning of the year: One dead and more than twenty injured. _DR
