Beachy Stout’s right-hand man came clean after talk with prophetess

Portland businessman Everton 'Beachy Stout' McDonald's right-hand man on Tuesday claimed he decided to come clean after initially lying to the police after the murder of his ex-boss' wife after speaking with his prophetess.

The witness, who previously testified that he and McDonald, shared a father-son relationship, disclosed yesterday that he was arrested and charged less than a month after the July 2020 murder of Tonia McDonald.

However, he said that months after going to court, he decided to tell the truth and pleaded guilty “to throwing away evidence” and was given a two-year sentence.

He later admitted under cross-examination by McDonald's lawyer, Christopher Townsend, that he lied in the first statement, but a deal was struck when he gave a second statement to the police  and was offered a three-year suspended sentence instead for pleading guilty to accessory to murder.

“So, you point pon somebody and get away scot-free?” the lawyer asked.

“I spent some time in prison,“ the witness replied, before adding, “I wasn't on the road I was locked up in my house out of fear cause a him.”

Justice Chester Stamp quickly intervened and told the witness to confine himself and not to mention anything about fear.

Tonia was found with her throat slashed in her car, which had been set ablaze along a deserted road in Sherwood Forest in Portland on July 20, 2020.

McDonald and his co-accused, Oscar Barnes, are currently on trial in the Home Circuit Court for the murder of the 32-year-old businesswoman.

Before disclosing that he was arrested in connection with Tonia's murder, the witness testified that within two weeks after the woman's death, her husband gave him six cellular phones and a gun to dispose of.

He told the court that he was given the first phone to destroy on the same night Tonia was killed.

The others were discarded on various days over the two weeks and included McDonald's two personal cellular phones, a phone belonging to 'Bubbla', another that was bought for use in the business, and two other devices.

Denvalyn Minott, otherwise called Bubbla, is a contract killer who had pleaded guilty in connection to Tonia's murder and was sentenced to 19 years and 10 months.

Minott had testified that he entered into an arrangement with McDonald to kill his wife for $3 million but that he subcontracted another man to do the killing.

WITNESS TESTIMONY

Continuing his evidence, the witness, claimed he destroyed most of the phones and burnt two at sea, where he was also instructed by the businessman to discard a firearm.

The witness also claimed that after coming clean, he showed the police where he had burnt the phones and where he threw away the gun.

He said he also showed them where he went to pick up a gun at a nightclub and a location where he had returned another that was malfunctioning.

When asked why he decided to go to the police, he said it was after his prophetess told him something. However, he was instructed by the prosecutor not to repeat what the prophetess had said.

Following his evidence, Townsend took him to task over his admission that he had lied to the police.

“So you spent 24 pages telling a lie in the first statement?” Townsend asked.

“Yes,” the witness replied.

So, therefore, you are a liar,” Townsend continued.

“No,” the witness answered emphatically while shaking his head.

The lawyer suggested to the witness that he lied in his second statement to save his skin, but this was denied by the witness.

The witness admitted during the cross-examination that he told the police that Minott and Tonia were selling drugs together. He also acknowledged that he told police in his second statement that he was given the phones and gun to discard a week before Tonia was killed, but insisted that it was an error.

“Do you even know what the truth is?” Townsend pressed.

But the witness, who appeared rather unbothered and was observed checking his phone, said, “Yes”.

He will undergo further cross-examination today.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com