Everton 'Beachy Stout' McDonald and his second wife Tonia
.png)
By Racquel Porter
There were testy exchanges between the defence and the main witness in the Everton 'Beachy Stout' McDonald and Oscar Barnes trial on Thursday. The men are on trial for the murder of Mr. McDonald's wife, Tonia.
Things got heated when one of the attorneys representing Mr. Barnes, Vincent Wellesley, asked Denvalyn Minott about the whereabouts of his son and a taxi operator.
Earlier in the trial the court heard that the son in question, gave the police a statement in which he said his father was an area don.
The convict got emotional.
This forced the morning proceedings to break earlier than usual.
In an attempt to jog Minott's memory during cross-examination, Mr. Wellesley asked the convict if he had heard his voice saying it was his son following the playing of an excerpt in court earlier.
Before the attorney could complete his question, Minott, with a frown, made a hand gesture.
Fighting to hold back tears, Minott said "Mi don't wah go back weh mi son and de taxi man deh; no ask me 'bout dem, no ask me no question bout dem."
Mr. Wellesley replied: "Put your hand down, put yuh gun finger down."
"Yuh cyaah tell mi weh fi duh," Minott retorted.
Presiding Judge Justice Chester Stamp intervened.
Justice Stamp, while noting that Minott looked stressed, told him that he would allow him a moment to compose himself and permitted him to step outside.
After leaving the courtroom Minott was observed crying while saying "A him kill me son."
After the break, Mr. Wellesley pressed further, asking Minott if it was his son Fitzroy Minott he was referring to in the recordings.
Minott did not answer.
Mr. Wellesley asked again in a high pitched voice: "Was that your son Fitzroy Minott?"
Minott replied: "Don't shout at mi!"
Minott reluctantly acknowledged that the police had arrested Fitzroy and that he was making reference to that son in the recordings.
In another exchange, Mr. Wellesley asked Minott about $650,000 that was seized when he was arrested and if the money was returned.
But Minott said: "That is not your business, Sir. That is not your concern now...That is not what mi charge for."
In another exchange, Mr. Wellesley accused the prosecution's main witness of being dishonest about his client Oscar Barnes' involvement in the murder.
Minott replied: "A neva lie, Sir. See Mr. Barnes sit dung dere. Mr. Barnes can get up and tell yuh di truth."
At that point Mr. Wellesley said the witness was uncontrollable.
Prior to Thursday's adjournment, Minott maintained that the only reason he said his son had been involved in Tonia's murder ,was in an effort to protect Mr. Barnes.
He said he did not want Mr. McDonald to know of Mr. Barnes' involvement because he had been instructed to carry out the murder by himself.
But Mr. Wellesley suggested to him that his client was never involved in the killing and that it was his son who was involved.
Minott disagreed.
Minott also denied lying to the court when he said Mr. Barnes went with him to Tonia's house in an attempt to kill her.
Meanwhile, the chief investigator, who was also recalled to the stand, insisted that there was no evidence to charge Minott's son.
He said he had asked Minott about the references made to his son during the recordings and he had given him an explanation.
"You believe this man who is a murderer and liar?" Wellesley asked before the judge intervened and told him that was not a question for the witness.
Mr. Wellesley then asked the investigator if he accepted the words of a liar and murderer but the police witness said he did not know Minott to be a liar.
Earlier in the proceedings, one of Mr. McDonald's attorneys, Christopher Townsend, before completing his cross-examination, suggested that it was not his client's voice that was heard in the recordings and that he was not involved in any conspiracy to murder his wife, but Minott disagreed.
Minott also denied suggestions that he never had any conversation with 'Beachy Stout' about killing his wife and that he never told him that he was going to give his wife money to purchase guns.
The witness also rejected a suggestion that he was not the one who made the recordings.
In the meantime, the prosecution has closed its case.
The trial continues on Monday.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
