‘Stress’, high anticipation as Beachy Stout judgment nears
AS THE DAY nears for trial judge Chester Stamp to hand over the high-profile murder trial involving Everton ‘Beachy Stout’ McDonald and Oscar Barnes to the seven-member jury, the victim’s mother’s anticipation is at fever pitch.
McDonald, 69, and Barnes, 39, are standing trial in the circuit division of the Supreme Court for the July 20, 2020 murder of McDonald’s wife Tonia.
She was 32 years old when prosecutors say Barnes cut her throat and stabbed her nine times before setting her ablaze in Sherwood Forrest, Portland.
Tonia’s charred remains were found next to her burnt-out Toyota Axio motorcar.
McDonald, a businessman who the Crown alleged put a $3 million price tag on her head, is alleged to have wanted her dead because he claimed she was having an affair, and putting him to shame.
Yesterday, at the close of another day of summation by Stamp, Tonia’s mother, one of 14 witnesses who took the stand at the invitation of the prosecution, and who has been following the case day in and out, said she was stressed.
“A swear this a stress mi out,” she said in earshot of The Gleaner, before leaving the courtroom.
Earlier in the trial, she left the courtroom while the prosecution was giving closing arguments. Upon hearing how Barnes used a knife to inflict stab wounds to Tonia, her mother wailed and stormed out the courtroom.
One of Tonia’s sisters had to go after her and consoled her on the outside.
She did not re-enter the courtroom on that occasion.
Approaching the back end of his summation, Stamp on Monday directed the jury to consider if Barnes made a statement the lead investigator said he gave to him on August 7 when he visited him at the Crossroads lockup.
This Justice Stamp said was a “very important” part of the case.
“Mi coulda save Sassy (Tonia) life ... Mi know somebody ago dead, even Thursday before she dead ...” Justice Stamp said, reading an excerpt the lead investigator said he wrote in his notebook upon the visit.
Barnes, in his unsworn testimony, said that the senior investigator was lying and fabricated that statement.
Justice Stamp also told the jurors that the statement is what the prosecution said supports state witness Denvalyn ‘Bubbla’ Minott’s testimony that he conspired with Barnes to commit the murder.
Minott, a former employee of McDonald’s, is serving 19 years and 10 months imprisonment for his role in Tonia’s murder.
He told the jurors that he was contracted by McDonald to murder Tonia for $3 million.
Minott further testified that he subcontracted the murder to Barnes who allegedly carried out the ‘hit’.
Barnes was charged on August 18 at Crossroads Police Station, while McDonald was charged on the same day at the Lawrence Tavern Police Station where he had been in custody.
Justice Stamp told the jurors that Barnes did not say anything in his legal right when slapped with the charge.
However, Stamp reminded the jury pool that McDonald said, “Charge mi nuh ... I’m innocent.”
The three-woman, four-male jury i s expected to begin its summation later this week.
Yesterday, Justice Stamp apologised to the Crown for any inconvenience and that his summation was taking longer than maybe anticipated.
The Crown told the trial judge that there was no inconvenience.
The judge is to continue his summation today.