No secretary of police youth club on gun charge

Ifill, of Marabella, reappeared before Fifth Court magistrate Kerianne Byer yesterday.

Prosecutor Sgt Ian Sylvan told the magistrate Ifill is not a member of any police youth club.

Sylvan said after Ifill’s first appearance and the subsequent media coverage caused problems, as it relates to sponsorship, for the Marabella Police Youth Club she claimed to be affiliated with.

Her attorney Frank Gittens apologised on her behalf saying sometimes the fear of being in court makes people say things they should not be saying.

Gittens said Ifill’s mother visited his office yesterday morning, prior to the start of court, and informed him that her daughter was not associated with the club. He said he intended to inform the court but the prosecutor managed to do so first.

The Police Service, in a statement issued yesterday, said the club’s secretary and leader, since its inception in 2011, is PC Vanessa Noel.

Ifill was charged together with her boyfriend Jason Williams, 25, and Lynte Prime, 25, by PC Mohammed.

Police arrested the trio on August 2 after intercepting and searching a car they were in at Lady Hailes Avenue in San Fernando.

It is alleged police found a Beretta pistol and 16 rounds of ammunition.

Ifill and Williams pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sums of $150,000 and $100,000 respectively.

The magistrate adjourned the matter to September 6 and transferred it to the Second Court.

However, Prime had asked for a maximum sentence indication before he entered a plea. Yesterday Prime pleaded guilty and Gittens submitted that his client had no previous convictions and had the weapon to protect himself. Gittens said Prime was remorseful.

Byer sentenced him to 12 months in prison with hard labour on the gun charge and nine months in prison with hard labour for the ammunition charge. The sentences are to run concurrently.