BY KEITH LACEY
A Chelmsford dentist has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, but his impressive collection of guns and ammunition has been cleared out by police.
Terry Witzu, 54, had six counts of careless storage of a firearm and illegal possession of firearms withdrawn against him Friday at the Sudbury Courthouse.
However, assistant Crown attorney Marc Huneault and defence counsel Berk Keaney reached an agreement where Witzu would forfeit ownership of three loaded weapons found inside his home and keep Witzu?s collection of rare weapons away from him for the next three years.
Keaney told the court that on May 21, 2002, as a result of an unrelated matter, Greater Sudbury Police arrested Witzu and his client was released on bail with a condition he turn over any firearms, ammunition or prohibited weapon he might possess.
Police went to Witzu?s home and found a .357 magnum handgun, .22-calibre rifle and 12-gauge shotgun, all fully loaded, inside his home and all were immediately turned over to officers. These weapons will be destroyed.
Huneault said the fact the weapons were loaded is the main reason the Crown is seeking the weapons forfeiture and prohibition against Witzu.
Witzu, who Keaney called an avid gun collector and hunter, also agreed to sell several other hunting rifles to a licensed purchaser within three months or face forfeiture of the long rifles.
Weapons seized from Witzu?s home include a Remington rifle, Thompson submachine gun and clip, Colt automatic handgun, .38 Special handgun, a rare German-made pistol, an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, .44-Magnum handgun and various amounts of ammunition for most of the weapons.
He will not be able to reclaim them for three years.
Keaney said while his client agrees to the Crown?s request to turn over his weapons collection, it should be made clear he has not been found guilty
of any criminal wrongdoing in this matter.
?He did not in any way commit a criminal act or indulge in any criminal wrongdoing,? said Keaney.
Keaney told the court Witzu was involved in a relationship with a woman at this time and she met another man and left Witzu for a brief period.
When the woman attempted to resume her relationship with Witzu, the other man became very upset and started making threatening phone calls to Witzu, said Keaney.
Police have taped recordings of some of the messages left on Witzu?s answering machine and Keaney uttered some of the threats made against Witzu to the court Friday.
The man used words like ?watch yourself,? ?I will take you down? and ?you don?t know who you are dealing with,? while continually using profanity and a loud, threatening voice, said Keaney.
Witzu is an avid gun collector and all of the other weapons and ammunition, besides the three that were loaded, were properly stored, said Keaney.
If the hunting rifles seized by police are not sold by May 31, they will be destroyed, said Keaney.
