WESTERN BUREAU — The sentencing of Nicola Richards for the theft of Montego Bay land baron, Joe Witter’s gun, has been pushed back to next Monday to facilitate a probation report on the accused female.

The report will help determine the weight of the sentence that Richards will get for the offences for which she is charged.

The 23 year-old woman, who is originally from Rockfort in Kingston, is also facing charges of illegal possession of a firearm and the illegal possession of ammunition.

She reportedly stole the gun from the floor of Witter’s Pajero when the 73 year-old man picked her up along the bridge on Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay on the night of April 11.

Richards, who is represented by attorney, George Duncan, has since pleaded guilty and the gun was recovered.

Witter, who was slapped with a charge of failing to report the weapon stolen within 48 hours of the theft, as stipulated by law, has been fined $500.

The theft of the weapon was brought to the Montego Bay Criminal Investigation Branch’s attention on April 28 when Witter reportedly went to the city’s courthouse and accused a female clerk of stealing his gun and called her a prostitute.

Disturbed by the businessman’s accusation against her, the young woman, whose name is being withheld, reported it to the police.

The following day, Witter allegedly went to the Freeport police station to have his firearms inspected and re-licensed. But he showed up with only four of the five licensed weapons, prompting an investigation and his subsequent court appearance.