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Following his arrest last weekend, Dylan Patrick Shillingford of York Valley, Layou appeared at the Roseau District Magistrate\u2019s court before Magistrate Michael Laudat pleading not guilty to seven charges posed against him. On Monday, June 11, Shillingford was charged with two counts of firearm possession without a firearm license, possession of prohibited firearm without a license, possession of 100 live ammunition, cultivation of over three plants of cannabis, drug trafficking of 3,082 grams of cannabis with intent to supply, and converting firearm into a prohibited weapon.<\/p>\n
Applying for bail on behalf of his client,\u00a0 attorney Wayne Norde reminded the court that, \u201cthe defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.\u201d He continued, \u201cin his circumstances, based on our constitution, the question that arises is why should the court detain the defendant for an offence which he \u2018allegedly\u2019 committed?\u201d Referring to Section 7 (1) of the 2020 Bail Act, Norde displayed confidence in his client\u2019s evidence satisfying the court. He highlighted that Shillingford is a first-time offender, is gainfully employed, agrees to adhere to bail conditions and surrender to the court, when necessary, has a suitable surety, and will not interfere with any witnesses while on bail.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the prosecution shared his concerns with the defendant being the holder of an American passport, hence indicating a possible escape from jurisdiction. However, Norde had previously relayed his client\u2019s willingness to surrender all travel documents upon grant of bail. He also mentioned that Shillingford lives in an area in his community which is referred to as \u201ca Zion,\u201d hinting obvious social isolation, posing no threat to the public.<\/p>\n
The defence counsel continued to advocate, \u201c Law doesn\u2019t discriminate, and the law isn\u2019t sexist. There are persons charged with trafficking over twenty firearms and are out on bail.\u201d He confidently assured, \u201cWe have satisfied all appropriate circumstances to grant him bail pursuant to Section 7(2) A-E.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prosecution argued otherwise, stating that neither proof of ownership of Shillingford\u2019s dwelling property was issued, nor mention of family ties in Dominica. He went on to mention his ownership of an American passport, indicating he may have no ties to Dominica. It was also underlined that the firearms discovered were loaded, making the defendant a possible threat to the public. Suggesting the use of discretion, the prosecution reminded the court of the seriousness of all seven offences and their penalties.<\/p>\n
The following day was met with the court\u2019s final decision and Magistrate Laudat warned, \u201cthe court notes the surge of gun violence places a dangerous threat to our community.\u201d He concluded that the court was not satisfied concerning the appropriate circumstances to grant bail to the defendant.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, June 11, Shillingford was denied bail and placed on remand until his trial at the St. Joseph Magistrate\u2019s Court on November 25, 2024, as he has agreed to a magistrate\u2019s court trial. He is entitled to another bail application once the relevant circumstances arise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following his arrest last weekend, Dylan Patrick Shillingford of York Valley, Layou appeared at the Roseau District Magistrate\u2019s court before Magistrate Michael Laudat pleading not guilty to seven charges posed against him. On Monday, June 11, Shillingford was charged with…","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":301286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,235,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-324121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-court-law","category-homepage-carousel","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n