Portand man on $3m fraud charge granted bail

Donovan Patterson of Norwich Heights in Port Antonio, Portland, who allegedly defrauded a woman of more than $3 million that she gave him to supply her with three motor cars, was granted bail in the sum of $800,000 when he appeared before Senior Parish Judge Opal Smith in the St Catherine Parish Court last Friday.

Carl McDonald, the attorney representing Patterson, told the court that his client is a businessman who has connections to a company that imports motor vehicles. He said the situation arose from a contract that wasn’t handled properly, which is why Patterson was charged, and vowed that his client would honour his conditions of bail.

The judge ruled that the accused should surrender his passport and report to the Port Antonio Police Station on Mondays and Thursdays.

The court heard evidence that Patterson convinced the complainant that he could provide the vehicles she wanted and she gave him $1,950,000. He was also given a Toyota Isis motor car valued at $1,200,000 to be sold as additional funding for the vehicles.

However, the accused allegedly sold the car, but the complainant did not get the vehicles or her money back and he could not be located.

Despite many attempts, Patterson failed to returned the money or the vehicles for which he was paid.

A report was made to the police and he was arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretence and fraudulent conversion.

He is to reappear in court on October 1, when the matter will again be mentioned.

Rasbert Turner