Marksman wins chance to sue for his gun

FORMER top marksman Jeremy Wingson has been granted leave by a High Court judge to sue against a decision of the Police Commissioner to seize his gun. Justice Joseph Tam, presiding in the San Fernando High Court, on Wednesday granted leave after Wingson presented a case of how he was forced to shoot a man who attacked him in the presence of his 18-month son on Carnival Tuesday, 2000. Wingson was crowned the 1999 top sharpshooter in a competition staged by the Trinidad and Tobago Rifle Association for the country’s marksmen to participate in practical shooting. Wingson, of Palmiste, San Fernando, stated in  a lawsuit filed in the Sub-Registry, San Fernando, that together with his son, he went to a bar-b-que hut at La Romaine on the night of March 7, and was returning to his friend’s car, when the confrontation occurred with the men.

The confrontation, Wingson stated, took place when his friend, whom he had gone to the bar-b-que hut with, could not move his (the friend’s) car, which was blocked by a car some men were driving. A verbal confrontation ensued and one of the men cuffed and kicked Wingson. Wingson stated that he was dragged out of the car and beaten. In his affidavit, Wingson stated that while he was being beaten, he whipped out his licensed Sig Saur nine-millimetre pistol and fired in self-defence. One of Wingson’s attackers was shot in the arm. Wingson stated in the affidavit, that he was charged six months later with wounding one Curtis Thomas. In his affidavit, the marksman stated that the case came up for hearing before Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim in the San Fernando Magistrates Court on 11 occasions, but the prosecution was never ready to proceed. The magistrate, in September 2002, dismissed the charge against Wingson. However, Wingson stated that his firearm and FUL (Firearms Users Licence), which were seized by the police, have not been returned to him. Yesterday, Wingson’s attorney, Anand Ramlogan, submitted to Justice Tam that Wingson was being made to suffer, although he was the victim of an attack. The judge granted leave and fixed the case for hearing on December 4.