Wor. Will Francis yesterday after a 20-year-old admitted firing a BB gun at a man.

Euran Ible, of Crown Lane, Warwick, was fined $500 and told the only thing that kept him from prison was the fact that his BB gun was not working at the time.

"The philosophy, in certain places, is that you prevent dangerous incidents by everybody arming themselves,'' said Mr. Francis. "But I agree with the philosophy that if you crack down on the possession of firearms, then if tempers flare, nobody will get hurt.

"(They) should be kept out of everybody's hands except those strictly licensed to use (them). If we let any and everybody have a gun, then we become an armed camp. I want to make it clear that people are likely to go to prison for carrying firearms (if they come up) in my court. Hot headed people out there carrying firearms are a danger to us all.'' Sgt. Wilbert McLean, prosecuting, said on April 26 at 3 a.m., Ible was engaged in an argument with other persons. It erupted into a fight at the junction of Middleton Lane and Middle Road in Paget.

A passer-by stopped to investigate and it became necessary for him to interfere because of the force exhibited by Ible, Sgt. McLean said.

Ible managed to free himself and pulled out his BB gun which he cocked and fired. The passer-by picked up a metal pole to defend himself but dropped it after Ible cocked the gun and demanded he do so.

The man managed to escape but reported the incident to Police.

On April 29, officers attended Ible's Devonshire workplace with the passer-by who pointed him out to them.

Ible was then taken to his home where the gun was seized by the officers.

"Thank God it wasn't working,'' said Mr. Francis. "If it was and you fired it I might very well have sent you to prison.''