21-Yr-Old Man Pleads Guilty To Weapon Charge
In this morning’s [May 10] Plea Court, 21-year-old Devon Hairston pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and of doing so in an Increased Penalty Zone.
Hairston was one of the teenagers who was originally charged with the 2008 murder of 18 year old Kellon Hill, however the charges against him in that matter were dismissed.
The charge arose out a Police Stop-n-Search on 9th May when Hairston was stopped and searched at the junction of Olivebank Drive and Middle Road in Warwick.
Unrepresented, and given his opportunity to explain his action in carrying the silver “brass knuckles”, Hairston said: “I’d like to apologize for having the offensive weapon – like I said, it was for my own protection.”
Before passing sentence, Magistrate Archie Warner reviewed Hairston’s record and noted that he had been given a suspended prison sentence in November 2007 when he was just sixteen.
Replying to this, Hairston offered that: “Everywhere I go I am treated as a victim. Police see me as a threat. I am seen as a victim.” Hairston continued: “I’ve been on Probation for years and I haven’t been back to Court. I got acquitted of a murder case.”
From the public gallery, his mother rose, asked to speak, and then told the Senior Magistrate that: “He was on trial for murder but he was acquitted. Everywhere he goes people want to fight him. How is he to defend himself?”
The Senior Magistrate told Hairston and his mother that: “He cannot carry a weapon. It cannot be justified. It is not the Court’s fault that he has been found in this position.”
The Magistrate fined Hairston $1,000 for possession and then added $500 for the Increased Penalty Zone.
The appearance of Hairston in court this morning means that all four teenagers who had the charges dismissed against them in the Kellon Hill murder have been subsequently convicted of other crimes.
Kevin Andre Warner has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years after being convicted of the murder of Dekimo Martin, while Gary Hollis and Zharrin Simmons were convicted of fare dodging. In addition, Ms Simmons was also charged late last year with taking part in a knife robbery.
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He sounds like the nicest guy you’d want to meet too.
I just can’t understand why he thinks he’s a “victim”. Thug, delinquent, loser – now those are terms I can understand.
Don’t Judge anyone unless you are perfect. One day your family member maybe sitting in his spot. Instead teach the youth that there is more to life then violence. Don’t just condemn them and then criticize them for their bad choices. Talk to them and try to understand why they think and act the way they do.
Surprising he was given a fine, lately the magistrates are all about wrist slapping.
Lately the magistrates are all about wrist slapping?!?!?! They’ve been about wrist slapping for years now which should be apparent if you’ve read this article to its fullest.
It is hard to say which part of this story is the most upsetting. My heart still goes out to Kellon Hills family, and than to have to read about the thugs who continue on the same derelict path, just disgusting. but above all the most nauseating is to have to read about a mother that will stand up and defend her sons gang like mentality. I wish some of these women would think for a minute before having children, that they can not care for properly.
“The appearance of Hairston in court this morning now means all four teenagers who had the charges dismissed against them in the Kellon Hill murder have been subsequently convicted of other crimes.”…..OOOH, what a shocker!
“like I said, it was for my own protection.” What a load of BS!!!! Brass knuckles are not a defensive weapon they are an offensive weapon used to inflict severe injuries of submission on victims.
Friggin cowards. At least the Magistrate seems real enough… It’s not the court’s fault he put himself (as did all his buddies bak in ’08) in the position to have the island wanting to kick his head in for what he’s been involved in. I say let these kids get whats coming to them – over and over and over, afterall, we are victims too arent we (for having idiots like this be the future of our island)?
He’s a victim??? Its funny because just yesterday I did a name search on facebook and found this guy flipping everyone the bird….Moms needs to sit down..stop defending nonsense, we should all blame you for doing such a lousy job…..dont care if he was acquitted, courts may turn a blind eye but God doesn’t and that sob story isnt going to do any justice when judgement comes… We are not talking about decent citizens here, its trouble making disgraces to this island that keep coming up. Same names in the paper over and over….do a google search on any of them and try to find one thing positive…….
One by one by one all in a row, think this is the end Jah never sleeps remember that.
F^%$ all u bermudians u just can’t let s%$t go what does kellon hill murder have to do with what this a$# went up for. Let s%$t go and bring ya own skeletons out!!! A lot of yall caged in ya mind to get rid off your own problems u chatty bout others stick a d$%$ in ya ear and f*&% what you heard! Bring the old case up aint gonna bring dat bk! His dead and gone so should b the case!!!
The fact that you don’t understand what one has to do with the other probably means you are part of the problem with Bermuda
@teenager
Yes Kellon Hill may be dead and gone, and these four little menaces have not learnt a thing. They all got off on a murder charge, they were given another chance to do something positive with their lives and they just blew it. Young Kellon was on the right path to success and it was all cut short by these thugs.
When will they ever learn ??
Oh now, he’s just expressing himself. He’ll go on to become CEO of ACE or XL if you people just stop harassing him.
On another subject…what is the sense really of the increased penalty zone? Its just another way to tack on more fines to garner more income. Where on this island is one out of that 100m-300m radius from schools, parks, beaches, churches, etc….
The Bermuda Police are doing a fine job of making this guys existence very uncomfortable . Keep his head swiveling on his damn neck ,and he should expect to have a stop and search when he travels from his bedroom to his stinking bathroom .
@ Teenager: You make absolutely no sense at all. The fact that the murder of Kellon Hill was brought up is because this guy was an integral part of that case.
Karma has a funny way of creeping up on us. But you know what’s sad, while Kellan Lewis is sitting in prison probably becoming a better person and actually reflecting on the pain he helped cause many people, the people once charged as his accomplices are still out there making it hard for everybody else. And to the girls who lay down with guys like that make it easier for them not to want to change and progress…
Don’t you know that its trendy now for girls to date thugs. Even the pretty model girls are doing it now. They even go as far as risking imprisonment to hold drugs & guns for them. Then again the last model girls caught holding drugs or guns got off for some weird reason. What makes it worse is these girls take pride in in being “child up” by these thugs who have all this drug money but refuse to pay for child support. This doesn’t make me feel sorry for these girls at all because you’ve got to be some kinda dumb to be attracted to a guy who spends $10,000 on a massive chain made of cheap gold & poorly cut diamonds & wears jeans that are two waist sizes too big for them. Don’t these girls know these guys are puppets to someone higher up the chain who is even more of a loser than these thugs. The ones I feel sorry for is these dumb bimbo’s kids who will most likely repeat the cycle they started. Maybe there should be a law that all dumb girls must get their tubes tied.
@teenager
The fact that you typed your message with L!K3 Th!$ shows your are silly young minded and probably just as dopey as the rest of these fools.
Kellon Hill’s case was brought up because he was involved in his murder. And clearly hasnt learned any sort of lesson
People can only base the way the feel about you by what you present to them.
Kellan Lewis – Convicted of Murder
Zharrin Simmons- Been in court for Robbery/ Theft and Knife possession atleast three times since Kellon’s murder
Kevin Warner – Convicted of murder of Demiko
Devon Hariston – Weapon Possesion
Thats what they have put out for people to see. So to me and most other Bermudians we are going to look at them for what THEY made themselves to be – TROUBLE!
Jah never sleeps ! S.i.p Kellon D. Hill
F**** all yall f**** haters..Yall aint got s*** to do go make money or read a book an put ya Real Name up if ya so f**** bad if not go f*** yourself…All yall freaks sayin jah dont sleep well aint dat the truth cause im out an Free cause jah knws the truth…SmallMindedBermudians