A 30-year-old became the first woman jailed for firearm possession under harsher new gun laws.Police arrested Emmajane Fritzgerald, of 142 Limewood, Freeport, and her 51-year-old mother Claudette Smith when they found a black Hipoint 9mm pistol and six grams of marijuana in their home on December 21.

Fritzgerald pleaded guilty to drug and gun possession charges at an arraignment before Gun Court Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday.

Ferguson-Pratt sentenced Fritzgerald to the mandatory minimum of four years in prison on the firearm charge and 18 months on the drug charge.

Prosecutors withdrew the charges against Smith because of Fritzgerald's guilty plea.

As of November 4, persons convicted of firearm possession face four to seven years in prison.

The FNM government removed the magistrates'sentencing discretion on charges of gun possession and drug possession with intent to supply in the face of a rising crime rate.

In December 2000, the Ingraham administration abolished mandatory minimum sentences.

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