FIFTY-year-old higgler Beverly Scarlett along with her daughter and niece were on Tuesday found guilty of manslaughter in the Home Circuit Court for the 2004 killing of Scarlett’s 66-year-old ex-lover.

Scarlett, her 20-year-old daughter Chantel Clarke and 19-year-old niece Shana-May Sterling are to be sentenced on February 9.

The court was told that on September 4, 2004, Scarlett, Clarke, Sterling and Scarlett’s son Oneil Clarke – who is reportedly on the run – stoned victim Roy Reid’s vehicle after he pulled up outside Scarlett’s Penwood Road home about 11:40 pm.

The relationship had ended a few months earlier, after Reid was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to undergo major surgery.

Reid, who had gone to the house to visit his ex-lover, drove off but crashed the vehicle in his haste to get away. The trio then set fire to the vehicle, causing severe burns to Reid’s upper body. After he fled from the blazing car, they attacked him with stones and bottles.

Testimony was given that Reid, who was in severe pain, begged a cop who arrived at the scene to “finish mi off”.

“Mi nago mek it. Jus kill mi an done … a Beverly Scarlett and har pickney dem do mi so,” Reid said, according to the cop’s testimony.

While on his way to the Kingston Public Hospital – where he died the following day – Reid again told the police: “After mi build mi house Beverly Scarlett run mi out an do mi dis. Officer, kill mi an done.”

A battered and burnt Reid told the police at the hospital that he came under a sudden and unprovoked attack from Scarlett and her family members.

The court was told that Reid, the accused and Oneil Clarke all lived together for a number of years at Penwood Road, Kingston 11, where Reid made major additions to their single-room home.

However, in unsworn statements from the dock on Tuesday, the accused denied any involvement in the incident.

Scarlett said that on the night in question she was sitting by her stall, along with Sterling, when Reid slammed his car into the stall, then drove off, up Penwood Road where he crashed after he was stoned by a group of men.

Defence attorney Linton Walters told the court that his clients were innocent and that Reid, a former forklift operator at the Kingston Wharves, lied about the three because he had lost his love (Scarlett) and was unable to identify the men who actually stoned him.

“Mr Reid lost his house, his members [his testicles due to the surgery] and the woman he has lived with for a number of years,” Gordon said.

“If that is not motive, I don’t know what is!”

The three were charged with murder but found guilty on the lesser charge of manslaughter.