ATTORNEYS in the Everton “Beachy Stout” McDonald and Oscar Barnes murder trial completed giving their closing arguments in the case on Friday in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston, paving the way for Justice Chester Stamp to begin his summation which will start on Tuesday.

McDonald and Barnes are on trial for the July 20, 2020 murder of Tonia McDonald, who was the second wife of McDonald. She was killed on the main road in Sherwood Forest in Portland, receiving multiple stab wounds and her body burned. The Toyota motor car she was driving was also torched.

Earnest Davis, the attorney who gave the closing arguments on behalf of Barnes, told the the seven-member jury that the main witness, Denvalyn “Bubbla” Minott, told the court many lies, even about the deceased, Tonia. According to Davis, his client was in no way involved in the killing of Tonia, and accused the lead detective in the case of concocting evidence against Barnes.

“Bubbla admitted that he lied at least three times. Bubbla lied so much that after he gave the statements, not even the detective believed him,” Davis said, adding that another big problem in the case was the issue of identification.

It was revealed earlier in the trial that Barnes was never taken on an identification parade after being arrested. The police also did not find any incriminating material when they searched his house, and also found nothing incriminating otherwise.

Davis reiterated that there was no physical evidence linking Barnes to the crime, stating that he was put on trial based on the testimony of a “liar” and based on an alleged statement the detective said Barnes gave to him, even after being cautioned that he was not obliged to give any statement without his attorney being present. Despite the detective sergeant’s claim, Barnes did not sign to the alleged statement, and witnesses who were present at the time did not prepare statements which could corroborate the claims of the lead investigator that certain utterances were actually made.

Davis sought to convince the jury that Barnes was not at the murder scene at any point, which would explain why police found nothing to tie him to the killing. Even the manner in which Minott claimed Barnes killed Tonia, Davis said, was unbelievable because it would require greater strength than what Barnes possessed. Davis said it was Minott who was solely responsible for Tonia’s murder, alluding to the fact that even the way he described the inflicting of the wounds, it would seem like an act he personally carried out. The attorney made the point that on each part of her body where Minott said she was stabbed was confirmed by the autopsy report. Minott admitted in court that he had blood all over his shirt after the murder. His explanation for this was that he got emotional when he realised Tonia, a woman he claimed he had a sexual relationship with, was dead. He said he cried and hugged her while she laid on the ground, lifeless, and that was how his shirt got blood on it, he had testified.

Davis on Friday appealed to the jury to disregard that story.

Minott is currently serving a 19-year, 10-month prison sentence for his role in the murder, after he confessed to being only the contractor. He said McDonald gave him a $3 million contract to kill Tonia, but he sub-contracted the hit to Barnes, who was a stranger to him. His claim is that it was Barnes who murdered the woman all by himself. He took a plea deal with prosecutors and agreed to give evidence against McDonald and Barnes.

Christopher Townsend, one of five attorneys representing McDonald, told the jury earlier this week to consider that in just a few years Minott will be out of prison and would be shopping with them at a mall upon his release, based on the evidence he gave, even after playing such a major role in the killing.