Virgin Islands Party at-large candidate Irene Penn-O’Neal has stood behind several podiums in recent days in a bid to convince residents to elect her as a member of the House of Assembly on June 8.

 

But yesterday, the businesswoman, along with her daughter Zubaida O’Neal and Shameek Grant, sat at the defendant’s dock at the Magistrates’ Court as a trial against them began.

The former legislator, her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend were each hit with charges of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition after a team of police officers searched the house the mother co-owns with her husband on Oct. 24, 2014.

Crown Counsel Simpson O’Neal began the case against the trio by inviting to the stand police constable Kieshon Leslie, one of five witnesses the Crown plans to call.

Mr. Leslie recounted his participation in the search of the former legislator’s Pockwood Pond home, which police said yielded two firearms — a TEC-9 submachine gun and a Springfield nine-millimetre handgun — as well as a clip for an AK-47 and dozens of rounds of ammunitions for the weapons.

Shortly after the firearms were discovered, Ms. Penn-O’Neal behaved “as if she was scared,” letting out a sigh and raising her hand before denying knowledge of the weapons, Mr. Leslie told the court.

“There was water in her eyes,” he added.

Ms. Penn-O’Neal, Ms. O’Neal and Mr. Grant were present for most of the search, and they were later joined by Ms. Penn O’Neal’s son Cordell O’Neal, who immediately claimed ownership of the guns, according to the officer.
“‘My mother ain’t going to jail,’” Mr. O’Neal said, according to Mr. Leslie. “‘I came up for the morning and put [the guns] there. Whatever you find, I put it there.’”

The group was later taken to the Road Town Police Station, where they were charged.

Ms. Penn-O’Neal, Ms. O’Neal and Mr. Grant have maintained their innocence.
Mr. O’Neal pleaded guilty at the Magistrates’ Court and is now serving a seven-year-and-10 month sentence at Her Majesty’s Prison.

The trial was ongoing as of Beacon’s print deadline yesterday.

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