Accused wife killer Collymore urged 'Chris' in text to 'do it and done'

Barbados-born businessman Omar Collymore had been communicating non-stop with a man in the days leading up to his wife’s murder and, in one of the texts sent two days before her death, was urging the person “to hurry up” and to “ do it this morning”.

The court also heard that, on that day in question, December 31, 2017, 62 calls were made between the two men's phones.

The 32-year-old woman, Simone Campbell-Collymore, described by a relative as “the consummate wife, mother and businesswoman” and the “centrepiece” of the family, was shot 19 times at the gate of her Stanley Terrace, St Andrew, home on January 2, 2018.

Taxi driver Winston 'Corey' Watson, 36, who was transporting her at the time, was also killed in the attack. He sustained five shots, including a fatal wound to his head.

Collymore, who is accused of orchestrating her murder, is currently on trial on two counts of murder in the Home Circuit Court along with his alleged accomplices, Michael Adams, the alleged contractor and Dwayne Pink and Shaquille Edwards.

A former police officer, who was attached to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Communication, Forensics and Cybercrime Division as a data analyst, yesterday shared call record information extracted from two cellular phones attributed to the Collymore.

The former assistant superintendent of police, who testified via video link, revealed that 148 phone calls were made between Collymore and the man, saved in his phone only as “Chris”, between December 17, 2017 and January 2, 2018.

The witness shared that, among the outgoing and incoming calls were 15 missed calls.

The court also heard that there were 15 calls between the numbers on December 30, 2017, and 62 on the following day.

Turning to the text messages which were exchanged, Collymore in messages sent to Chris on December 31, starting at 9: 21 am, said “ Yow” and a minute later texted “ Hurry up”.

In a follow-up text, Collymore said, “Same Silver Blue Benz” while adding in another text that he was going to church in Duhaney Park, St Andrew.

Chris in his message told Collymore, “ .. the thing I get to borrow yesterday the man want it to sort out themself.”

Collymore shortly after told him, “ But do this, do it and done,” and “ Do it this morning bro and we done."

Chris, in reply, told him he was on it, while Collymore insisted that he hurry and that he should inform him when he was there. This was at 9:25 a.m.

On the same day, Collymore texted his wife at 11:47 a.m., telling her to wait for him to change, if she did not leave the house as yet.

She did not reply and he sent her several other messages indicating that he was trying to reach her.

She later replied at 12:41 p.m., saying she was still in church and was going to town.

Collymore, at 5:53 p.m., texted her “Hey babes everything ok down there" and she replied, “ok”.

The court also heard that 21 phone calls were placed on January 2 between Collymore and Chris and that the last call, an outgoing call, was placed at 4:10 p.m., 11 minutes after the shooting occurred.

Earlier in the trial, during text messages shared between the couple's phones, Collymore enquired of his wife if she wanted to visit a doctor at Andrews Memorial Hospital to do a medical report for her insurance coverage.

He also indicated that it was to be done so that the children could be added as beneficiaries to her policy.

Collymore, however, in a caution statement had told the police that he did not know the value of his wife's insurance policy or who were her beneficiaries.

The trial will resume on Monday with more phone record details.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com