BEETHAM resident Osbourne Henry was spared jail time Wednesday after magistrate Avason Quinlan ruled that the matter for which he was being tried took too long to reach its end.

Quinlan, in passing judgment said it was hard not to take into consideration the fact the matter took six years to end and since his arrest Henry, who was charged with possession of a pistol and six rounds of ammunition, has never been in any trouble with the law nor was he in trouble with the law before the date of the offence on September 9, 2003.

’It would be difficult for persons to live six plus years with a matter of a serious nature hanging over their head,’ Quinlan added as she sided with Henry’s attorney Patrick Godson-Phillips, who submitted that his client experienced agony awaiting his matter to be decided.

In a plea for leniency, Godson-Phillips submitted that his client, a 30-year-old mason, is a father of two and should be spared jail time because of the effects the sentence would have on his children. He added that the effects of his client’s imprisonment would have been easier on them six years ago.

’We in the justice system have not done enough to deal with the increase in gun related offences,’ Quinlan said as she pointed out that the gun and bullets were sent to the Forensic Science Centre on September 26, 2003 and the certificate of analysis was dated February 15, 2007.

Henry was arrested after police executed a search warrant at his home. He was fined $5,000 to cover both the arms and ammunition and given four months to pay the fine or face 18 months’ hard labour.