Man charged over gun found in KFC box freed

A St Andrew upholster who was arrested and slapped with gun charges in connection with an illegal firearm found inside a KFC box in his father's motor car two years ago was on Tuesday freed when he appeared in the Gun Court.

Oshando Hylton was freed of illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition charges after Justice Carolyn Tie- Powell upheld a no-case submission made by his attorney-at-law John Jacobs.

Hylton was one of two men arrested on June 2, 2022, by a police team on mobile patrol along Dumbarton Avenue in St Andrew.

The police reported that the men were observed standing near a motor car, which was searched and a Taurus nine-millimetre pistol with a magazine containing twelve 9mm rounds of ammunition was reportedly found in a KFC chicken box that was seen in the car. 

However, the charges against his co-accused, Andre Lindsay, were later dismissed after the prosecution offered no evidence against him while Hylton proceeded to trial.

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Following the completion of the prosecution's case, Jacobs, during his submission, argued that the evidence before the court supported his client's innocence and admission that he had no connection to the weapon.

He also submitted that the prosecution's evidence was woefully weak and manifestly unreliable.

He pointed to the forensic DNA report which indicated that three persons had handled the weapon but that Hylton was not one of them.

Jacobs also highlighted inconsistencies in evidence from one of the police witnesses regarding the taking of fingerprint and buccal evidence from Lindsay.

He noted that although the police witness testified that the police had collected finger and buccal swab, he indicated under cross-examination that he did not witness it being done. 

Additionally, Jacobs said based on the DNA report there was nothing presented to determine whether Lindsay was one of the persons who had handled the weapon. 

Attorney-at-law Courtney Rowe also represented Hylton.

- Tanesha Mundle