Beachy Stout: Power, police and murder

When Everton ‘Beachy Stout’ McDonald was arrested in August 2020, it appeared that no jail cell at any of the eight police stations in Portland or the neighbouring parish of St Mary could hold him.

The seemingly larger-than-life Portlander was placed miles away in the custody of the Lawrence Tavern police in the hills of rural St Andrew.

The Gleaner gathered that even then, he was making offers to cops to pay them for phone calls to check in on his business in the wake of his detention.

For the citizenry in Portland, this move by the Major Investigation Division (MID) was icing on the cake amid the widely held belief that McDonald wielded influence among the parish’s police corps and that his wealth could influence the law.

During a special investigation by The Gleaner, months after his arrest, our news team hit the ground where individuals in Portland described the man as untouchable.

A longtime friend told The Gleaner, “Dem a Portland can’t lock him up, enuh 'cause weh the new station (Port Antonio) mek a Portland, right now a him did own the land. A the title dem did a wait on fi mek him get him money 'cause a some mishap with the papers.”

McDonald, 69, was convicted Wednesday in the Home Circuit Court along with co-accused Oscar Barnes, for the July 20, 2020, murder of his second wife, 32-year-old Tonia ‘Sassy’ McDonald.

During the Gleaner visit to Port Antonio, it was unearthed that McDonald owned or had ties to several prime commercial and residential properties.

A source who knew McDonald for well over 40 years told The Gleaner that it took the businessman 10 years to amass his extreme wealth, shocking most.

“He became powerful and dangerous,” The Gleaner was told during a private meeting.

The newspaper was also told that he was able to reign so long for several reasons but chief among them was corruption.

The longtime pal said: “Yuh see in Portland, most people believe inna people weh have money and corruption. That is why him nuh get hol' long $&%#ing time.”

McDonald’s ‘friend’, as the source often declared during the interview, said he rose from nothing to something.

“Juggling. Dem man deh, a him mother start the ting by selling cigarette and him a run bar ... . Him start by selling weed inna di bush, plant weed. That took off, and him start do other juggling ... . Him never go overseas to my knowledge, but di man dem work for him, so him nuh have to go overseas,” said the source.

Justice Chester Stamp, who presided over the six-month-long murder trial, said character evidence given on behalf of McDonald pointed to him being the ‘feather in the cap’ of people in Port Antonio.

The source, who spoke to The Gleaner, lamented that though honesty was the best policy, ‘Beachy Stout’ became successful largely through his dishonesty.

The Gleaner understands that McDonald had several monikers - ‘Beachy Stout’, ‘Mr Mac’, and ‘Shines’ - but it was the name 'Dash Weh' that instilled fear in many.

“Dishonest and cruel back a it. When u say machine, him nuh ramp. Dash Weh a him real name that inna bad code. So you know him nuh ramp,” the source revealed.

Though familiar with the man several people called 'Boss', the source was adamant that their dealings were strictly business and that he had no part to play in anything illegal.

“Me is not that type of person so him couldn’t get me involved dem way deh. For dem, it was his money was the influence. Most of the youths don’t have education. Dem grow ina gun violence. If dem a get $100k and $500k weh dem nuh work for just fi buss two shot, dem a tek it, and him is the man weh bait dem like that,” the source told The Gleaner.

The prosecution's main witness, a self-confessed criminal, Denvalyn ‘Bubbla’ Minott, testified during the just-concluded trial that he had been contracted by McDonald, his former employer, to kill Tonia.

Minott is serving 19 years and 10 months in prison for his role in Tonia’s murder.

He is eligible for parole after 10 years as part of his plea deal.

During his evidence-in-chief, he told the jurors that he had been contracted byMcDonald to murder Tonia but did not receive a cent of the $3 million promised by the businessman.

At the private interview in 2021, the source kept looking over his shoulder, and each time someone passed, stopped talking.

The Gleaner understands that Beachy Stout was not one to sympathise, not even with his workers.

“A man thief a soap inna him supermarket and him chop off the man fingers, and a next time, dem a throw weh some soon-expired goods, and a staff go tek up one, and he was beaten for it,” the source revealed.

Several persons in 2021 said they would not be surprised if McDonald beat the cases.

“Him have him money. You will see him back a street ... . Him no have no use for the money now, so the only thing him can do a spend it (on his defence),” a resident said then.

There were those as well who thought he was better suited where he is, behind bars.

One resident said: “Too much innocent people get hurt. You can’t hurt a man fi a house or dem thing deh. How long can you live in a building? How long can you spend the money or drive the car? If him come back out, him a go hurt more people and tek weh that and that.”

The townspeople are looking at the fortune to remain in the McDonald family as an only child for both Beachy Stout and his first wife, Marlene ‘Petal’ McDonald, is said to be steadily carving out a name for himself in the family tradition, business-wise, that is.

Marlene, 50, was shot and killed in her driveway after parking her car at her Boundbrook, Port Antonio, Portland, home in May 2009.

McDonald, also charged for her murder, is to stand trial next year in that matter.

Investigators opened a cold case after one of McDonald's nephews had told the police that his uncle had confessed to him that he allegedly orchestrated the death of Marlene.

That nephew, prosecutors say, was murdered soon after.

The family friend said: “All the business on William Street in the son name long time. Him (the son) all sell out nuff places, too. The mother, Ms Mary (Beachy Stout’s mom), did have her money from selling cigarette and kerosene oil. Dem tings deh she juggle off before she dead. They have all that going for them through generational wealth.”

Some Portlanders also lauded the elder McDonald for his rise as a businessman.

One resident, who said he knew Beachy Stout for 20 years, said: “Him a straight hustler 'cause him no have no brain. The business sense comes through Petal, the first wife. Him now, stay inna him place and back up that. Him nuh have no head for that. Him nuh schooled. Him get nuff lick inna business, too.”

Beachy Stout’s affiliation with law enforcement, especially in Portland, grew out of an association with some policemen who were seen by the residents as corrupt.

The Supreme Court in February 2021 heard allegations that McDonald paid a police detective to plan the killing of Marlene.

Prosecutors said, more than 10 years ago, that Beachy Stout paid the detective to orchestrate the murder of Marlene after their marriage broke down.

The residents said the policeman in question left the force shortly after he was accused of another killing.

“Him kill a boy up by Bunny View inna the parish and come under some pressure and him leave the work … . Him alone a come for yuh, a bad-boy detective,” the source told The Gleaner.

McDonald and Barnes were remanded in custody for sentencing on May 16.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com