Man Jailed Over Illegal Glock as Four Relatives Freed

Four of five family members charged following the discovery of an illegal firearm and ammunition during a police search earlier this month have been freed, while one man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison after accepting full responsibility for the weapon. 30-year-old Devon Pratt, a security officer of Burrell Boom Village, appeared before Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison this afternoon for sentencing after pleading guilty to keeping an unlicensed firearm and seven rounds of ammunition. The charges stemmed from a June 6 police search at a residence at the corner of Caesar Ridge Road and Kraal Road in Belize City, where officers found a Glock 9mm pistol, two magazines and seven live rounds hidden beneath a mattress.  Pratt was sentenced to four years, three months and nine days for the firearm offence and two years, three months and nine days for the ammunition offence. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve the longer prison term of four years, three months and nine days.  In handing down the sentence, the court considered the seriousness of the offence, the fact that the weapon was concealed, and Pratt’s previous conviction for similar offences. The magistrate also noted that Pratt initially allowed another accused to claim ownership of the firearm before later admitting it was his.  During mitigation, represented by attorney Ian Gray, Pratt apologized to the court, saying he had no intention of harming anyone and claimed he kept the firearm for protection against wildlife. He also expressed regret for placing innocent relatives at risk and causing them to lose their jobs.  The court, however, found that a custodial sentence was warranted because Pratt had previously been convicted of firearm and ammunition offences about a decade ago and still owes an outstanding court fine from that matter. That unpaid fine could result in additional imprisonment separate from his current sentence.  Following Pratt’s sentencing, the prosecution withdrew the charges against the remaining four accused: homeowner Natasha Hughes, her brother-in-law Eldon Pratt, Andrew Baizar, and a 16-year-old minor. The group had spent three weeks on remand as all five were charged in connection with the June 6 police operation.