Lawyers Michael Wyllie, left, and Grant Connell outside the Serious Offences Court in Kingstown on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025.
Lawyer Grant Connell on Tuesday intervened at the Serious Offences Court amidst the strange submission of his colleague, Michael Wyllie.
Wyllie was defending Ozari Jelani Dennie in a trial in which Chief Magistrate Colin John found him guilty of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Dennie faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for his crime.
Dennie, a prospect resident, was convicted of charges that on Nov. 29, 2024 at Arnos Vale, he had in his possession one black 9mm pistol without a license issued under the Firearms Act; had in his possession four rounds of 9mm ammunition without a license to keep same under the Firearms Act.
However, during the trial, Wyllie did not challenge the evidence of the main prosecution witness, detective Sergeant Glendon David who testified that Dennie had the firearm in his waist on the date and place in question.
Then, after John handed down the guilty verdict Tuesday morning, Wyllie did not stand immediately after the magistrate invited him to mitigate on behalf of his client.
When called upon a second time to mitigate on Dennie's behalf, Wyllie said, "You said he is found guilty based on the evidence but they understood what they needed to say to find him guilty."
Wyllie then continued to speak but his words were at times inaudible to people in the public gallery of the courtroom.
At one point, the magistrate asked him if he wished to say anything before Dennie is sentenced.
Wyllie then said he thought the matter was going to be transferred to the High Court.
Dennie was charged and tried summarily, meaning that a magistrate hears the case.
A magistrate can transfer some cases to the high court for sentencing if the magistrate is of the view that the crime deserves a sentence beyond what a magistrate can hand down.
However, a case of possession of a single firearm is generally not sent to the High Court for sentencing.
And, the High Court has sent back to the magistrate's court for disposal at least one case involving multiple firearms that the lower court had sent up for sentencing.
After listening to Wyllie's submission, Connell, who had arrived at court while the proceedings were underway and was not involved in the case, asked the court to allow him a brief word with Wyllie.
The chief magistrate stood the matter down while Connell and Wyllie spoke in hushed voices at the bar table as the court went on to deal with other cases.
When Dennie's case was recalled, John asked Wyllie if there was any mitigation on behalf of his client.
Wyllie again said he was hoping that the matter would be transferred to the High Court.
Connell then stood and asked that the sentencing be adjourned for a day or two "so that certain things be ironed out".
He said there are "certain things that are obvious but go beyond the practice of anyone at the bar. We see what is happening and it is very unfortunate," the lawyer said, but did not elaborate.
"Given the nature of the offence, a significant mitigation would be crucial," Connell said.
Wyllie then stood and told the court that his client is not well and had just informed him that he was supposed to undergo surgery.
The court then inquired about Dennie, who outlined several health challenges that he said he has.
The court remanded Dennie in custody until Wednesday for sentencing.
Wyllie's appearance in court in September came as a surprise to some, as Frederick Attorneys & Notary Public, the law firm with which he worked, announced his retirement in a Facebook post on Aug. 22.
Vynnette Frederick, principal at Frederick Attorneys, said in the post that Wyllie "will restrict his practice to occasional solicitor's work starting Aug. 25, 2025.
"Counsel Wyllie will no longer be attending court and will not regularly be in office but will consult periodically. We thank him for his 9 years of Service at Fredericks Attorneys, where he appeared primarily before the Criminal Bar of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines," the post said.
On Tuesday, iWitness News asked Wyllie about this announcement and he referred to a back injury he had suffered some years ago and ongoing medical treatment for it.
Separately on Tuesday, Frederick told iWitness
"Mr. Wyllie is no longer a part of Frederick Attorneys and has been transitioning out of the practice since I announced his retirement. Whether he thinks himself fit to continue to appear before the courts is not something that I can properly comment on."