NORWICH – After brief deliberation, a jury of 12 men and women found Terry Towndrow of Oxford guilty of possession of a stolen firearm Wednesday. Towndrow’s attorney, Thomas Miller, said his client intends to appeal the decision.

Prior to the trial, Towndrow declared his desire to represent himself in court. Towndrow was at odds with his first attorney, Christopher Simpser, saying he had quit on him and now he wanted to defend himself against the charge. Towndrow made an emotional presentation to the court at an earlier proceeding urging he be allowed to make motions on his behalf, many of which challenged the ethical behavior of his ex-counsel and District Attorney Joseph McBride. However, the accusations were found to have no merit by the court. County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan also decided that Towndrow was not capable of representing himself in court. He appointed Miller to the case, an attorney he said was experienced in dealing with clients who have a desire play a very active role in their case.

Towndrow, 43, Turner Street, Oxford, and Erick B. Wright, 34, of the same address, were indicted in March on charges that stemmed from the Jan. 27 theft of guns from a Town of Preston residence. The indictment cited a Remington 597 and a .22 caliber rifle as the items that went missing.