Voice mentioned robbery, but contract killer says mission was murder

CONFESSED contract killer Denvalyn “Bubbla” Minott was on Tuesday unable to explain to the seven-member jury what a man purported to be murder accused Everton “Beachy Stout” Mcdonald meant when he mentioned a robbery in what Minott said was a secret recording between himself and Mcdonald.

Minott, who gave evidence in September last year, returned as a witness on Tuesday to continue giving evidence in the trial and to identify the voices on recordings of alleged phone conversations between himself and Mcdonald, which he claimed he secretly captured.

Mcdonald and co-accused Oscar Barnes are on trial for the July 20, 2020 murder of Mcdonald’s second wife, Tonia.

Minott, who is serving a 19-year prison sentence for the murder, had told the court that Mcdonald hired him for $3 million to kill his wife. He alleged that he subcontracted the hit to Barnes, who stabbed Tonia to death and cut her throat while he only watched. Tonia’s body was found on the main road in Sherwood Forest, Portland.

The recordings in question were alleged to have been of discussions of a plot to murder Tonia, according Minott.

However, in one of the recordings, the voice which Minott attributed to Mcdonald expressed a desire for a domestic helper to witness a robbery at the house he shared with his wife in Dolphin Bay, Portland.

Minott was heard discussing with the other man the numerous occasions he had visited the house, walked around it, and watched the occupants through windows with the aim of carrying out a particular act. He even told the man on the phone that he had brought his son and a taxi driver with him on the mission.

For one reason or another, Minott failed on each attempt at the house to do what he went there to do. He expressed to the other man on the phone that he didn’t feel as if the act should still take place at the house. He even made mention that he had plans to take Tonia away from the house.

When asked by prosecutor Sophia Rowe why he went to the house, Minott said that he was there to kill Tonia — a woman with whom he claimed he had a sexual relationship.

On one of the recordings the man said to be Mcdonald mentioned wanting the events to seem like robbery, but Minott claimed on Tuesday that he knew nothing about any robbery.

“I don’t know what robbery was being referred to,” Minott said.

The voice attributed to Mcdonald told Minott that he was at risk of losing the “work” to men in Kingston who were ready and capable. The man also made it clear to Minott that he did not want to be anywhere near the house when the act was being committed. He said he wanted things to appear as though he stumbled on the crime and, therefore, emphasised to Minott that he had to answer his phone every time he called to ensure that events ran smoothly and as planned.

On one occasion the voice attributed to Mcdonald said to Minott, “A suppen weh mi want the helper know seh a nuh me. Mi a go hang back half hour and drive go up a ‘Village’. When mi reach deh now, you done work because you nah go take one hour fi finish. Mi always a go come in after she, like half hour after. Mi want the helper call mi phone and seh, ‘Yow, yow, yow something happened.’ Remember, a two banger phone wi deh pon, enuh, weh wi a go dispose.”