And while that soldier is remanded, a Coastal Zone Park Ranger is lucky to be home after he discharged a firearm in public. On Christmas Day, 45 year old Ian Banks discharged his licensed 9 millimeter pistol in a yard on Oleander Street just a stone's throw away from the Mahogany Street Police Sub-Station. Police detained him immediately and today in court he wasted no time in pleading guilty to the charge. When he was asked why he did it, Banks told the Chief Magistrate, that he was going through an emotional time because it was his first Christmas without his brother, the notorious Darren Banks - who was killed three months ago. He said his nephew began to cry and that's when I went to the back yard and fired the shots.
Because it was his first offence, the Chief Magistrate fined him one - thousand dollars which he has until February to pay.
But Banks - who works at Gough's Caye - was also concerned about getting back his firearm - which the police confiscated from him. The Chief Magistrate told him that decision will rest solely with the Commissioner of Police.
