A detective corporal, who on Tuesday said he played a supporting role in the investigation of the July 20, 2020 murder of Tonia McDonald in Portland, testified in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston that Oscar Barnes, the man accused of stabbing the 32-year-old woman to death, was never placed on an identification parade.

Barnes is currently on bail.

Tonia, who was the second wife of Portland businessman Everton “Beachy Stout” McDonald, was stabbed multiple times and her throat slashed on the Tallington main road in Sherwood Forest, Portland. The Toyota Axio motor car she was driving was set on fire and her partially burned body was found beside the vehicle.

Beachy Stout, who is on trial for her murder, along with Barnes, allegedly hired a man by the name of Denvalyn “Bubbla” Minott to kill her. Minott allegedly subcontracted the hit to Barnes. Minott, who was taken in for questioning in relation to a warrant under the Firearms Act, confessed to his involvement in Tonia’s killing and was eventually sentenced to 19 years and 10 months in prison. He not only implicated himself, but went a step further to implicate Beachy Stout and Barnes and agreed to turn Crown witness.

Facing questions from Ernest Davis, one of two attorneys representing Barnes, the detective corporal denied that there was no concrete evidence which caused Barnes to now be on trial.

Vincent Wellesley is the second attorney representing Barnes.

“On August 5, 2020, with Mr Minott in the vehicle, we were heading to Portland but something happened when we got to Annotto Bay, St Mary. Mr Minott showed me an area and told me something about a person. He pointed out the person to us. Before he pointed out the person, he never gave us a description of him. We didn’t conduct an identification parade because it was spontaneous,” the policeman told the seven-member jury on Tuesday.

The detective corporal continued to give an account of the events which, he said, unfolded on the day of Barnes’ arrest, claiming that they were led by what Minott had told him and his team.

“When the vehicle stopped, we approached this man. I had no previous description of the person. When we arrested the person, that was when we ascertained his name. I am not sure of the total number of statements Minott gave, but I don’t recall if he mentioned Oscar Barnes in his statements. Mr Minott told me that he did not know his name, but I was there when he was pointed out. I do not agree with you that the identity of Oscar Barnes is questionable. In his statements, Minott mentioned the man he contracted and his location, and so forth. I took no details about the face of the man. I don’t have a written account of that,” the policeman said.

He told the court that he was aware that Barnes’ house was searched, but could not speak to whether any items of clothing were taken from him to form part of the investigations.

“I cannot say specifically if DNA or anything at all connects Mr Barnes to the murder. I wasn’t there, but I am aware that a car was seized as part of our process. There was a search and nothing offensive found,” he said.

A request was made to presiding Judge Chester Stamp, by Barnes’ attorney, Earnest Davis, to issue an order so that the same motor vehicle that was seized, could be released from the custody of the police as it is of no further interest to them in relation to the case.

Justice Stamp told Davis to put his request in writing and address it to the relevant parties.

The eighth witness in the trial, a detective sergeant, also took the stand on Tuesday. The detective sergeant was the lead investigator in the Tonia McDonald murder.

The policeman, who has been a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for 28 years and a member of the Major Investigations Division (MID) for 11 years, told the court that the matter was the second high-profile case he had investigated over the span of his investigative career.

“This is considered a serious high-profile case, based on the the status surrounding the victim and the husband of the victim. I was not the only investigator. There were several others who assisted. I received information of a witness who could assist with investigations and I interviewed and recorded a statement, during which useful information was gathered in relation to a name that was given. I provided the name to members of my intelligence unit at MID, but even at that point I did not have a suspect. I recorded several statements up to that point. I physically took them,” the lead investigator told the court, before explaining that 11 days after the murder he went to visit Beachy Stout at one of his business establishments in Portland to empathise with him.

“On July 31, 2020, I along with my team went to the Mary Shine Enterprise, located at 8 William Street in Port Antonio, Portland. This enterprise is owned by Beachy Stout and Tonia McDonald. I met with Everton McDonald. We were invited to his office upstairs. I introduced myself to him and introduced the other members of my team. I spent a very long time because I empathised with him, knowing he lost his wife.

“I told him of our approach towards the investigation and I asked him several questions in relation to himself, his wife, their associates and family members. Mr McDonald was very cooperative. He also made us comfortable by providing us with chairs. He was seated around a desk and we faced each other. I told him I was requesting a written statement from him, in regards to what he had told me. He agreed and I recorded the statement.”