‘He was acting like a lunatic’
Sister of murdered businesswoman says Collymore smashed phones, tried to destroy Benz motor car
THE sister of Simone Collymore told the court on Thursday that her brother-in-law, Omar Collymore, lost his cool and became violent when his wife packed his clothes and told him he had to go because she was done with their relationship.
Simone was murdered on January 2, 2018 along with taxi driver Winston Walters, on Stanley Terrace in Red Hills, St Andrew.
Collymore was arrested and charged for the killings. Also charged were Michael Adams, Dewayne Pink, and Shaquille Edwards. The men are on trial in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston for two counts of murder and a count of conspiracy to commit murder.
On Thursday, Simone’s sister told the court that she listened to a recording that Simone played for her on a cellular phone in the latter part of 2017.
“She proceeded to pack up majority of Omar’s clothes. He came upstairs with the children and asked what was going on, but Simone did not answer. He then asked her again what was going on. She said, ‘Why don’t you go and ask Val?’ He walked away and put the children in the room next door. He returned and literally just went crazy. He ripped the cable box from the TV stand. He started to rip the large TV from the wall. He grabbed other things and was cursing.
“He said, ‘You think you can embarrass me?’ She was crying and told him ‘It’s done’ and that he can go and be with all the women. My husband heard the commotion and came out and was trying to calm him down, but Omar flashed him off and continued exchanging verbal blows with Simone,” the sister told the court.
She added that her husband eventually got Collymore to go downstairs. Simone, she said, then went to take a shower but a few minutes later Collymore came bursting back into the room. She said that he started grabbing at things and even smashed two iPhones belonging to Simone. She said he forced her against a wall with his elbow which was placed under her chin, while she grabbed at his face and neck.
“When I saw him pin her, I tugged at him to get off her. He was a huge guy. My husband came back into the room and he and Omar went back downstairs to the garage. Simone remained in the room crying hysterically. In the driveway downstairs, Omar attempted to smash the windows of Simone’s black Mercedes Benz. He was using his fist and going around pounding. I told him he was acting like a lunatic and that he needed to calm down, but he was still ranting and raging,” the sister testified.
“When he was unsuccessful at breaking the windows, he jumped in his vehicle and I was standing in front of the car, telling him to calm down. He intended to drive it into the Benz. He screamed at me to get out of the way and proceeded to put the vehicle in drive. At that point my husband grabbed the keys and was pleading with Omar, who was ranting and raging. Simone came downstairs and she and Omar exchanged unpleasantries. He repeatedly called her a bitch. After a few exchanges he stated that he was going to ensure this family crumbles and he was not going to stop until the family crumbles,” she told the court.
The sister stated that on December 22, 2017, she went Christmas shopping with Simone. The sister said she went to buy lunch at TGIF where she saw Collymore seated at a table with a woman. She went over to him and asked what was going on. She said he claimed it was a business meeting and she, in turn, asked him if Simone knew that he was having a business meeting with the woman he was having an affair with. She then left the restaurant.
She said that she didn’t tell Simone about what happened until around December 31, 2017.
The operator of a motor vehicle rental business, who also took the witness stand Thursday, said co-accused Adams rented a blue motor vehicle from him on December 29, 2017. He said he initially rented it to him for three days, from December 29 to January 1, 2018 but made arrangements to keep the car longer.
On Tuesday, Simone’s distraught mother told the court that on New Year’s Day, after 12:00 am, she left church and was attempting to enter the premises where she lived and could not find the remote control to open the gate.
While she waited for someone to open the gate, the mother said a very suspicious blue car pulled up beside her vehicle and the driver was smoking and peering into her vehicle. She said she was terrified by what was happening, especially since the vehicle had sped past her earlier but came back to where her car was parked while she waited for Simone to bring the remote.
The trial continues today.