A secondary school teacher from Paix Bouche, residing in Borne, has been brought before the Magistrate’s Court on 14 separate charges related to the possession of firearms, ammunition, and spent shells.
The accused, Nathaniel Michael John, appeared before Magistrate Michael Laudat and entered a plea of not guilty. According to the police complaint, officers recovered five firearms, more than 100 live rounds, and over 50 spent shells during a search of his residence on 20 November 2025.
John, who has taught for more than 17 years, elected for a summary trial.
His attorneys, Wayne Norde and Gina Abraham-Thomas, applied for bail, arguing that the firearms were low-calibre hunting weapons, commonly used for birds and small wildlife. Norde told the court that the items had not been linked to any criminal activity, and that it was not in the public interest to keep a long-serving educator on remand.
The defence also called John’s wife, who testified that keeping her husband in custody would harm the family.
The bail request was opposed by Director of Public Prosecutions Sherma Dalrymple, who said the defence had not met the threshold under Section 72E of the Bail Act. The DPP relied on testimony from investigating officer Constable Bruno and firearms expert Jefferson Farrell.
The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday for continuation of the prosecution’s objection. Until then, John remains in the custody of the investigating officer.
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