Last week, we told you about 36-year-old PC Walford Smart, a cop who was charged for theft after a.38 firearm that he had signed out of the exhibit room was later found in a bushy lot on Unity Street. The Commissioner of Police had said that he was under obligation to return the firearm, and it was never reported stolen or missing. Smart was placed on interdiction and faced disciplinary charges which could lead to dismissal.
He was also criminally charged and Smart was in court last Wednesday without an attorney and pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft. He was denied bail by the Senior Magistrate, who told him the matter is a serious offense involving a firearm.
The next day, Smart's attorney, Ronnel Gonzalez, secured him bail in the sum of $10,000 plus two sureties of $5,000 each, which was granted by Justice Ricardo Sandcroft.
And since he's out on bail, Smart told court reporter Anita Nembhard that he doesn't believe he should have been charged for theft since he didn't steal the gun - though he was the one who signed out for it. Today, he recounted the last time he saw the firearm.
Walford Smart, Charged For Theft
"Police officers should have done a proper investigation before charging me for theft. Yes, I was the one in charge of the firearm due to the fact that I had to sign it out while dealing with the exhibits, it's a daily routine for us, it's stuff for the court orderlies and even after that I'm still signing guns over back to the exhibit but on that day I can clearly recall my mind, part of it while I was incarcerated for that day in prison, I clearly remember on the 4th of April, we had Edwin Shepherd trial going on, that said firearm was the evidence in that matter."
"I took the bullet from Mr Sean and took it back to court 6 for my magistrate, Miss Anderson Pitts, and she was seated in court 6 with Magistrate Shoman. After that, I received the bullet from her, she wrote it up, I received from her and took it back to my court in court 3."
"I took it back to court 3 where the box was with the gun and everything, I placed the bullet in there and I left it right on the desk."
"That was the last time I saw that firearm. So for them to charge me for theft, I said the charges are way off. Negligence I would have pled guilty because I was in a hectic situation at court."
According to PC Smart, he has been doing his own investigation and he's concluded the gun was stolen right from the Magistrate's Court.
