Last night, 7News told you about the dramatic, unexpected outcome in the case of Corporal Gino Peck who was convicted of firearm offenses in the Magistrate's Court.
He remains at the Belize Central Prison tonight, while awaiting sentencing. He will learn on Friday how much years he's going to get. While Peck endures that agony of grim foreboding, he has a wife and 5 children, 4 of which depend on him as the breadwinner. Their lives have been thrown into ruin by the guilty verdict - a verdict they never could have expected would befall a career lawman.
His family invited 7News into their Belize City home today, and they spoke with Daniel Ortiz about the case and about who Peck really is:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The Peck Family was still brought to tears today, while discussing or even thinking about the fact that Gino Peck, the father, husband and main breadwinner is in jail looking at jail time. They're still torn up about the decision. Since they had endured almost a year of the case and its unpleasant memories, the Peck family stayed at home on the final day. He informed them of the court's decision via text message.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"In the text he said "love, they found me guilty, please don't cry - God is on our side." That was in the text."
"I didn't go with him to the court. I went there after I received a text saying that they found him guilty - that was hard. I had to read that text for my kids. We were all there. I lost it and I went to the court to see what was going on because I didn't really know much at the time. When I saw him, he was okay and he just tell us what to do and how to do it and he basically talk to the kids and told them that his rule still stand and to let them take care of me and take care of each other and don't get in trouble because he won't be around."
But before all of these events since January 2012 unfolded, the family says Peck was a model officer, a gentleman, and a good father.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"When I first met him I was broken, I was mentally, physical and emotionally abused by the person I was living with and I met him when he was 21 years old. I had already 4 kids and when he asked me to move to Belize City and live with him, I thought he was crazy - a 21 year old with 4 kids and he made his mind up that he love my kids and he showed everybody in the neighborhood - some of them even know that he wasn't their biological father."
The happiness in the home changed on that night when the Gang Suppression Unit conducted that raid which unearthed the ammunition.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"We were asleep. We have a young man who stayed with us sometimes Akeem, and he was here and he heard the knocking and he opened the door because he said they said police and he thought, oh it's the police and he know that his dad is a police, so he opened the door and he went and knock on the room door and said that the police officers are here. My husband got up and then he came inside and he said to me love you need to get up, the GSU is here and they said that they need to search the house they got information that we have "machine gun" was what they said we have and I said what and he said don't worry, just let us do what they say and we got up and I change my clothes and they start their searching."
Loretta, Gino's wife, was once charged jointly with him, but the Office of the DPP withdrew the charges against her. She told us today that this conviction has completely blindsided her personally because she trusted him wholeheartedly.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"I wouldn't know anything about it. I was a police officer's wife who respected his job and throughout the years I saw my husband work with the BDF. He would go behind the bush for 2-3 months at a time. He would be working on the Cayes, so if he walks into my home with these things I wouldn't think that he is not supposed to have them and I wouldn't ask questions because I don't think it's my place to question him about things like that and so I wouldn't know."
According to the family, even though this conviction was handed down yesterday, Gino still enjoys the support of the majority within the Police Department.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"The president of the police association called and they wanted me to know that we are not alone, they are there to support. I spoke with Mr. Lyndon Flowers, Mr. Grinage - they are all behind my husband one hundred percent. The whole police department is behind him. He is in the police force for 22 years."
Her final words to the media this afternoon was a plea for the reversal of the outcome of this case.
Loretta Peck - Wife of Gino Peck
"To the magistrate, i would like to say that I have 4 kids without a father and then I met a father and a husband for my kids. Please don't take a second father from my kids. My kids, I think they went through enough and if she could find it in her heart to just give me back my husband. I do need him, I am not working and my kids are out of school. I have boys and you could see the kind of situation in our community especially with boys. I just need him to be here with my children. I don't want her to take their father away from them. So, i don't know how you do judgments, I have no idea, but I just pray that she finds it in her heart to give me back my husband and my kids father."
According to Loretta Peck, her husband has also taken in and mentored troubled young men.
She added that as soon as the sentencing hearing takes place, they will start the process of appealing the decision of the Chief Magistrate.
Gino Peck is a police officer of 22 years, and served most of those years in the Special Branch.
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