Former Free National Movement Senator John Bostwick has been granted a few more days to breathe before his sentencing.

The approval was handed down from Magistrate Andrew Forbes on Friday after his senior attorney, Elliot Lockhart QC failed to attend the sentencing.

 The sentencing which was to take place at 9:30 a.m had to be postponed until 1:00 pm due to the absence of Mr. Lockhart. At the second attempt for sentencing, Mr. Lockhart still was not present.

 Representing Mr. Bostwick in court was former Minister of State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez who told the court that despite the disapproval of the director of public prosecutions he decided to be present. At the time of Mr. Bostwick’s sentencing, Mr. Gomez was a minister.

 Magistrate Forbes noted that Mr. Bostwick’s sister, Lisa Bostwick-Dean was also present in court as his counsel however Mr. Gomez said that a relative should not represent Mr. Bostwick. Attorney Wayne Munoe who was also present in court as a character witness for Mr. Bostwick said that although Mrs. Bostwick-Dean is a competent counsel, she is not competent enough to lead in the matter.

 He also added that ethics in regards to the bar would not be upheld if she was to take the lead.

 When asked if the crown found any objection to the adjournment, prosecutor for the crown Ambrose Armbrister objected. Magistrate Forbes addressed Minister Gomez and Mr. Munroe by saying that Mrs. Bostwick-Dean is more than competent and the court does not have time to delay proceedings that are almost done with as it drags along other cases.

 Forbes also added that despite the proceedings not being done as yet, Bostwick has already filed an appeal to his conviction, however Magistrate Forbes granted Gomez’s request to proceed with the adjournment on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. He also added that all paperwork needed to be in to his office by Monday 4:00 PM.

 Mr. Bostwick was supported in court by his family and friends including President of the Bar Association Elsworth Johnson, Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd, Bishop Simeon Hall, former Bahamas Christian Council Present Patrick Paul.

 Mr. Bostwick was found guilty last month after he was found in possession of 10 rounds of .22 ammunition and a magazine clip in his backpack at Grand Bahama International Airport. AT the time Mr. Bostwick was still a senator and has to be removed from his post.

 Airport Security found the ammunition during a check in the domestic section of the airport. Since then Mr. Bostwick’s defense argued that there had been tampering with his luggage which explains how he came to possess the ammunition.

 In court, Magistrate Forbes told Mr. Bostwick’s defense and also his sister Mrs. Bostwick-Dean that his allegations of being setup were hard to believe. Magistrate Forbes deemed the allegations as “unconvincing and unbelievable” after the fact that he had told police while in custody that the backpack was left in his rental car’s trunk, however he changed his story when footage was shown to that proved his alibi was not true.

 Mr. Bostwick could face up to seven years imprisonment.