One year for illegal firearm
By Latrishka Thomas A Villa man who immediately admitted ownership of an illegal firearm when confronted by police was sentenced to a year in prison marking his second conviction for a firearms-related offence. Twenty-seven-year-old Datwan Simon pleaded guilty to possession of a black and silver 1911 Colt 9mm pistol last month. He appeared before Chief […]
Black News 
By Latrishka Thomas
A Villa man who immediately admitted ownership of an illegal firearm when confronted by police was sentenced to a year in prison marking his second conviction for a firearms-related offence.
Twenty-seven-year-old Datwan Simon pleaded guilty to possession of a black and silver 1911 Colt 9mm pistol last month. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel on Wednesday and was represented by attorney Lawrence Daniel.
He was found with the gun after police acted on information received and secured a search warrant before arriving at Simon’s residence in Villa at approximately 6:30 am on April 16, 2026.
During a search of the property, the officers discovered the firearm hidden inside a white sock beneath the house.
When the weapon was shown to Simon and he was cautioned, he immediately admitted it belonged to him. “The firearm belongs to me sir. It is a Colt 1911 chrome with board brown handle,” he told the officers.
He was subsequently arrested, charged, and later entered a guilty plea before the court.
During a police interview, Simon disclosed that he had been in possession of the firearm for approximately one year — a detail that later became significant in sentencing.
In determining the sentence, Chief Magistrate Emanuel first assessed the seriousness and consequences of the offence, placing both in the lower categories. This established a starting point of 30 percent of the five-year maximum sentence, equivalent to one year and six months.
The court then considered aggravating factors related to the offence. Simon’s admission that he had possessed the firearm for about a year was treated as a sustained period of possession, which sentencing guidelines recognise as an aggravating factor. Two months were added, increasing the sentence to one year and eight months.
Further aggravation arose from Simon’s criminal history. The court noted that he had previously been convicted of firearm and ammunition offences in February 2020. That prior conviction added another two months, bringing the sentence to one year and 10 months.
The court also considered mitigating factors. Simon cooperated with police throughout the investigation and fully participated in his interview. His attorney also informed the court that he was remorseful for his actions. Together, those factors reduced the sentence by four months, lowering it to one year and six months.
A one-third reduction was then applied for his early guilty plea, resulting in a final sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment.
Simon had already spent 23 days on remand, which will count toward his sentence, leaving 11 months remaining to be served.
The firearm has been ordered confiscated and lodged at the armoury.
