FORMER Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, who is now before the courts in the United States on drug and gun-running charges, wanted to end the violent history that has stained him and his family, according to the Rev Al Miller.

Miller, who heads Fellowship Tabernacle, was one of the last persons to have contact with Coke before he was captured by police, whisked through the Jamaican courts and flown to the United States.

Miller said an utterance by the reputed don encouraged him that fateful Tuesday when he attempted to escort Coke to the US Embassy but was stopped by the police.

According to Miller, who was last Thursday charged by the authorities with harbouring a fugitive and perverting the course of justice, Coke’s decision to surrender signalled the former fugitive’s desire “to help bring this to an end”.

“[He said] ‘since it started with me (my family) let it end with me’,” Miller told his congregation at the church on Washington Boulevard in St Andrew yesterday morning.

Coke, who the US Department of State branded one of the world’s most dangerous narco criminals, is the latest member of the Coke family to have made headlines for the wrong reasons. The US Drug Enforcement Agency said Coke inherited the reins of the notorious Shower Posse and has accused him of trafficking in cocaine, marijuana and arms.

Coke, also known as ‘The President’ and ‘Shortman’, lost his father, two brothers and a sister violently and now faces life imprisonment in a US penal facility.

His father, Lester Lloyd ‘Jim Brown’ Coke, a leading member of the Shower Posse, died in a mysterious fire in his jail cell while awaiting extradition on federal charges. His brother, Mark ‘Jah T’ Coke, was shot off his motorbike near the intersection of Maxfield Avenue and Spanish Town Road and another brother, ‘Chris Royal’ or ‘Royal Blend’ was killed by police.

His sister ‘Mumpi’ was killed during a gunfight.

It’s this legacy that Miller said ‘Dudus’ wants to end.

The charismatic clergyman also told his congregation that some of the reports that have been making the rounds concerning Coke’s capture were untrue.

“Some of what you have heard is certainly not accurate. Yours truly was not in a convoy with gunmen behind and before, it never happened,” Miller said in response to police reports that the vehicle he travelled in was sandwiched between two car loads of armed thugs.

The police said they had assessed the situation and allowed the thugs to escape in order to nab Coke.

In addition, Miller said “there is absolutely no truth to the statement that I was trying to run away from the police; again no truth”.

Miller also confessed that even though he went for Coke he was “fraid like puss”.

“I simply got a call to deal with an issue…it was an opportunity that is a response to prayer,” the pastor said.

According to Miller, a fellow Christian had come some two weeks before with a dream which she said showed that he, Miller, would be instrumental in Coke’s surrender.

He said the dream prepared him so that when the call came he “would know God was in it”.

“I went, picked him up and was taking him to the authorities. Nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t trying to big up myself,” Miller continued.

The Reverend, however, promised church members that a pastoral sit down would be arranged at some time in the future “so you can be clear in your minds”.