One Bad Apple?

Sept 6 trial for cop on weapons charge

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com

Thursday, July 08, 2010

POLICE Sergeant Russell Robinson, who was implicated in February's gun and ammunition find at premises along Munster Road in Eastern St Andrew, is scheduled to go on trial in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on September 6 for breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

The trial date was set Tuesday, when Robinson appeared before Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser, who remanded him into custody.

The prosecution is alleging that Robinson, who was assigned to the armoury at the Elletson Road Police Station, begged his colleagues to release him, when he was held on February 4 in the gun and ammunition find.

Another accused in the matter, Garnett Pellington, was also charged for the said charge, but pleaded guilty and was given a 12-month suspended sentence last Thursday.

Pellington was charged after he offered to pay $200,000 to one of the arresting officer to set him free.

Both accused along with two civilian workers of the police armoury, Charles Morris and David Blagrove, are also now before the High Court Division of the Gun Court on gun charges.

However, on Monday all three accused pleaded guilty to the charges. Pellington pleaded guilty to a count of illegal possession of firearm, while Morris and Blagrove both pleaded guilty to all 19 counts for which they were charged

Pellington is expected to give evidence against co-accused Robinson, who previously pleaded not guilty in connection with 18 counts of illegal possession of firearms.

The accused were arrested after a search of two premises in Eastern St Andrew found 19 firearms, 10,600 rounds of ammunition, police vests and $787,000 cash.

The weapons, which included M-16 rifles, shotguns, andUzi sub-machine guns, were stolen from the armoury.

All four accused persons were remanded into custody and are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Sept-6-trial-for-cop-on-weapons-charge_7778046