A former prison inmate turned lawyer said people in Bermuda are refusing to acknowledge the use of guns in territorial warfare. He said steps must be taken to examine the supply of guns to the Island as they are easily accessible to feuding gang members.

Charles Richardson, who injured two people at the Spinning Wheel Night Club more than ten years ago, used a gun himself in the incident.

Since the outbreak of violence at the Wellington Oval more than two weeks ago, several members of the community, including UBP Senator Leonard Santucci, have spoken about the prevalence of the guns in the community. Crew members have also told in a series on gang violence run in this newspaper last year, that any name-brand crew on the Island had access to a gun. Last year former Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister told that more could be done to restrict gun supply to the Island. During his eight-year prison sentence Mr. Richardson turned his life around by studying for a law degree with the University of London. Speaking to from London, Mr. Richardson said he was saddened but not surprised to hear about the incident at Wellington Oval two weeks ago and about the use of a firearm. "Guns have been on the Island all along, they're not as difficult to obtain as people may think," said Mr. Richardson. "Bermuda is a stone throw away from the United States. The way this works is through supply and demand. I always say it's like the movie 'Men In Black' where people discover they have been living with aliens for the last 100 years ? it's the same thing in Bermuda. The violent culture has been there all along."

This month Mr. Richardson will sit for his bar exams and expects to return to the Island to take up a position as a member of the criminal defence bar.

When asked about his opinion of some of the issues behind gang conflict, he said turf wars gave young men a sense of notoriety and respect.

"This is an ideological pretext for what's happening, these conflicts are about notoriety and respect, they give the young men involved in them a badge of honour," said Mr. Richardson.

He said public displays of violence are not so much about hurting a member of a rival crew as they are about recognition for the act itself. "It's about me, recognise me, it may sound trivial to you or me but to these young men, it's a code of conduct."

Mr. Richardson said research into prison systems around the world demonstrates that getting tough on crime does not function as a deterrent for criminal activity and he spoke about his own mindset as an example that the "get out the gas chamber and fry them" mentality does not work in the long run to deter criminal activity. Mr. Richardson said when former criminals are released into the community to live a normal lifestyle they often resort to the same behaviour the prison system sets out to eradicate. "When I was in my recalcitrant stage the threat of punishment did nothing to deter me. At the end of the day punishment can only carry us so far," he said. When asked about his own rehabilitation, Mr. Richardson said it was the work of several dedicated individuals who helped him to get back on the right track. "They failed several times, but it was a patient process. Eventually they got through to me because they were people who weren't talking a lot of hot air, they meant what they said."