His father, Governor Sir Richard Gozney, is in charge of keeping Bermuda safe and teenager Alexander Gozney assisted that task when he helped crack a shooting case.

Mr. Gozney, a 19-year-old student, happened across a bullet case that lay on a pedestrian crossing on Reid Street on the afternoon of December 19 2009. It later turned out to be from the shot Alvone Maybury fired at gang rivals there in the early hours of that day.

In a Police statement read to Maybury's trial, Mr. Gozney explained how he spotted the small metal object and picked it up to take a closer look.

"It became clear to me it was the casing of a pistol round. The words on the side said 'Luger 9 mm'. Once I was satisfied the object was a casing I placed it back roughly where I had found it and called the Police," he said.

Mr. Gozney waited by the bullet case until a detective turned up three minutes later. Forensic tests later linked it to a firearm owned by Maybury, which was also recovered by the Police during the investigation.

A jury convicted Maybury by a unanimous verdict yesterday of possessing and firing the gun that night. Although the eight men and four women who decided the case knew of the role Mr. Gozney played in finding the object, they were never told who his father is.

Currently at university in the UK, the now 20-year-old said in a brief comment via e-mail yesterday: "I was happy to help the Bermuda Police Service, and encourage anyone who sees or finds something which may be of some help to the Police in stemming the surge in gun crime, to come forward."

Sir Richard said: "I have no comment of my own to add from Government House; the verdict speaks for itself."