A licensed firearm holder who was charged with firing his gun within 100 feet of a public thoroughfare was freed in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The Spanish Town businessman, who is 31, walked free after his attorney, Donald Bryan, proved he had discharged his gun in a justifiable manner. "Your Honour, my client was travelling on the road late. His car got a puncture. He was changing a tyre. A car in a threatening manner with doors open suddenly drove up with doors flown and he fired a shot in the air," Bryan said.

The Resident Magistrate told the lawyer, it might have been lawful for the accused to discharge his weapon at the time.

Having been told the original investigator has since resigned from the force.

It was agreed that the case should be dismissed for want of prosecution.

- R.T.