Woman granted $150,000 bail following ammo seizure at airport
ST JAMES, Jamaica — A St Mary woman was granted $150,000 bail on Wednesday after being held with ammunition at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James.
Kerine Housing, 55, of Islington, St Mary, pleaded guilty to unauthorised possession of ammunition before presiding Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton at the St James Parish Court.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on April 12 while Housing was in the process of checking in for a flight to the United States.
During security screening, she was instructed to remove a plastic bag from her pocket and place it in the x-ray bin.
The bag was reportedly found to contain five rounds of ammunition.
The police were alerted, and she was arrested and charged.
During his bail submission, Housing’s lawyer, Christopher Hibbert, stated that his client provided an explanation to the police officers who conducted their own background checks to verify the accuracy of the information that she had provided.
Bernard went on to say that the police had been informed by their counterparts in St Mary about the difficulties Housing was having with her adult son who lives with her.
He stated that, according to the information he received, his client’s son appears to be suffering from a mental illness. He also stated that his client and other family members have reached out to the police numerous times for help in relation to criminal actions he has committed against her and their home.
After hearing the lawyer’s submission, Fairclough-Hylton granted the defendant bail in the amount of $150,000 with up to three sureties.
As part of her bail conditions, she was asked to report to a specific police station on specific days of the week. She was also asked to surrender her travel documents, and a stop order will be imposed at all ports.
She is to return to court on June 5.