Omar Collymore took the witness stand in the Home Circuit Court on Tuesday testifying that he loved his wife and had no hand in her murder six years ago.

Collymore, who is on trial for the January 2, 2018 murders of Simone Campbell-Collymore and taxi operator Winston Walters, also insisted that he had no knowledge of the value of two life insurance policies taken out by his wife, and that he only remembered meeting with an insurance agent from Sagicor to sign documents in relation to his policy.

He said he never read the details on the policy. Both policies, belonging to husband and wife, were worth $100 million each.

His co-accused are Michael Adams, Shaquilla Edwards, and Dwayne Pink.

The prosecution has claimed that Collymore ordered his wife’s murder to claim life insurance benefits as he was a beneficiary on her policy and was also a trustee for the portions their two children were to receive in the event of their mother’s death.

“Simone told me to meet with the insurance agent. I didn’t see the actual policy. Not at all. There is no truth to insurance rumours. I had nothing to do with the policy. I don’t even know where the papers were,” Collymore said in response to questions from his attorney Dianne Jobson.

“I love my wife. I am her protector. I didn’t contract anyone to do anything to her, period. I didn’t know the insurance agent prior to me signing,” he added.

Under further examination from Jobson, Collymore told the jury that a contractor on a housing development project
— that was a partnership between himself and his wife
— had issued threats due to a business disagreement.

“He was the contractor on our construction project. The relationship between he and I was not good at all. He was shiesty. He was short-cutting the material and the process,” Collymore said, explaining that there would often be arguments.

“He threatened Simone for sure. Simone and I had many conversations about him. In one conversation she said he was threatening her about money that was owed,” he told the court.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Andrea Martin-Swaby tried to pull from Collymore the reason cellphone records showed that he communicated with Adams, the alleged contractor in Campbell-Collymore’s murder, more than he communicated with his wife.

“You said that in 2017 Michael Adams was introduced to you by a woman?” Martin-Swaby asked Collymore.

“Yes, we met in 2017, but I can’t remember when in 2017,” Collymore responded. “We spoke about him becoming like an employee. He wanted to sell phone stuff. Simone communicated with Adams. They met once or twice. I know she met him downtown. She dropped off a few phones for me to him.”

Collymore said that Adams would collect goods from them worth up to $60,000 at times.

“I would describe him as someone who purchases goods from us under consignment,” he said,

Martin-Swaby then hit Collymore with a follow-up question on why he would be communicating with Adams after midnight, as was shown by call data records presented by a police expert previously in the trial.

“I didn’t see the records,” Collymore responded, which made the prosecutor smile before telling him that she would show him the records.

She pointed out to Collymore that between December 25, 2017 and January 2, 2018, there were 138 lines of communication or attempted communication between him and his wife. Martin-Swaby then showed that there were 379 lines of communication or attempted communication between Collymore and Adams.

“You communicated with that person more than 200 per cent more than your wife,” Martin-Swaby said.

“I disagree with that. We couldn’t possibly have communicated so many times,” Collymore responded.

Martin Swaby then explored other areas of the case with Collymore. She probed to find out why Adams was trying to call him 10 minutes after Campbell-Collymore had been killed and why Collymore had called him back at three minutes after missing his call.

“I don’t know the time my wife was shot. I had a missed call and I called him back,” Collymore replied.

Thirty-two-year-old Campbell-Collymore and 36-year-old Walters were shot outside the gate of her Forest Ridge apartment in Red Hills, St Andrew, reportedly by two men.

The trial continues today.