Nassau, BAHAMAS- A gun-toting grandmother has asked the appellate court to reduce her one-year prison sentence, arguing that she’s too sick for jail.
Freda Hart, 80, was convicted of gun possession in February 2023 after she tried to hide a loaded gun from police.
Hart has already served six months of her sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition. Persons convicted of firearms offenses do not receive time off for good behavior.
On December 1, 2020, police officers armed with a search warrant in her grandson, James Hart’s name, descended on their shared home.
Ms Hart, then 79, devised a plan to hide the gun. She asked the officers to use the bathroom and took a towel with her.
When an officer tried to take the towel away from her, Ms Hart reportedly scuffled with the policewoman.
During the struggle, a loaded 9mm pistol, which was in the ready-to-fire position, fell to the ground.
Hart’s lawyer, Caleb Dorsett, presented medical evidence that was not before the magistrate in an effort to show that the sentence was too harsh.
He said that his client suffered from hypertension and dementia.
Nevertheless, Justice of Appeal Jon Isaacs noted that she had the mental capacity to think of a way to discard the firearm.
The prosecutor, Ashley Carrol, defended the one-year sentence, saying it was reasonable given the circumstances of the case.
The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision on whether Hart’s sentence was too harsh.
Hart’s grandson was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He has not filed an appeal.
Copyright Bahamas Court News 2023.
