ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel Friday sentenced a former police officer, Karim Warner, to one year in jail, after he was found guilty of discharging his firearm in a public place on December 3, 2022.
Magistrate Emanuel emphasised the seriousness of the offence, noting the risk to public safety.
Karim Warner
The magistrate had earlier this week postponed the sentencing after the prosecutors said Warner fired 12 rounds at a motor vehicle with two occupants after a confrontation during an attempt to reclaim a leased vehicle. No one was injured.
The court heard that the male occupant refused to hand over the car before shots were fired., The 37-year-old father of two had broken down in tears in the St John’s Magistrates’ Court this week after he was found guilty of the charge.
Warner had initially faced charges for discharging a firearm in a public place and assaulting both vehicle occupants. He maintained his innocence, entering not guilty pleas.
In February, the prosecution dropped the assault charges entirely, and the situation became more complicated when the male complainant failed to appear for trial and formally withdrew from the case, stating he no longer wished to participate in the proceedings.
Despite these setbacks, Magistrate Emanuel continued with the remaining charge of discharging a firearm in a public place with testimony from four witnesses, including the female complainant, a taxi driver, police officers, and additional witnesses.
Following the prosecution’s presentation, defense attorney Andrew O’Kola mounted a no-case submission, contending that prosecutors had failed to meet the evidentiary threshold required to sustain the charges. O’Kola requested the case be dismissed outright.
But after considering the arguments from the state and the defence, Magistrate Emanuel rejected the no-case submission.
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