Church secretary says $2.5m fully repaid as police murder trial and Stony Hill theft also advance

A former church secretary charged with fraudulently converting $2.5 million told the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court last Thursday that she has now paid back every dollar at issue, while the complainant insists more than $1 million is still missing.

Alyssa Livermore, once secretary for the church’s online ministry, was arrested and charged earlier this year after a bishop allegedly entrusted her with cash for safekeeping. She had reportedly returned $500,000 on one occasion and $1.7 million on another before appearing in court, where she also handed over what she described as the remaining $372,000. Defence attorney Vanessa Taylor told the court her client had repaid the full sum covered by the complaint. The clerk of court said the complainant rejected that account and maintained the money had not been fully accounted for, claiming just over $1 million remained outstanding. Taylor and the clerk agreed to review the payments and ledgers because the figures conflict.

The dispute grew from a rupture between Livermore and the bishop over pay tied to her secretary role. Prosecutors allege he placed funds in her personal bank account and directed transfers to others on his behalf. She was employed full-time but allegedly went unpaid, resigned after a verbal clash, then limited contact, citing threats. Transfers allegedly continued until communication broke down and the bishop reported the matter. Bail was extended and the case adjourned to November 5 for mention.

Separately, defence attorney Hugh Wildman pressed an Independent Commission of Investigations officer on Monday about whether a fourth man was at the January 12, 2013 shooting on Acadia Drive at Barbican Centre Avenue, where six policemen face murder charges in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston over the deaths of Matthew Lee, Eucliffe Dyer and Demarc Allen. The three were in a blue Mitsubishi Outlander stopped in a police operation; men allegedly left the vehicle and exchanged gunfire with officers. A fourth man was said to have fled onto Evons Avenue. Two illegal firearms were recovered, and a ballistic expert contracted by INDECOM testified last week that evidence indicated those guns were fired at the scene.

Wildman asked whether Agriculture Minister Floyd Green and another alleged eyewitness ever described a fourth man, and whether any such tip was recorded. The officer said he obtained only two alleged eyewitnesses after others refused to help, and recalled an anonymous call. “These two witnesses sent an anonymous letter. I don’t think the letter mentioned a fourth man. I don’t recall if it was mentioned during the call or at any point the fourth man was mentioned but it was mentioned,” he said, adding he could not recall asking Green and the other witness about a fourth man. He said a statement was taken from Green after the other eyewitness’s statement. Asked whether those statements were witnessed by a Justice of the Peace as required for certain INDECOM statements, he replied: “The statements were not witnessed by a JP but I can’t agree that it was illegal. The JP signed the statement afterwards.” He did not inspect the Outlander’s interior beyond what was shown at the scene, arrived about noon with a superintendent present, and was shown the two seized firearms. Justice Sonia Linton is hearing the matter with a seven-member jury; Kathryn Pack leads for the Crown with Sangil Pennant as junior. Cross-examination by Wildman and co-counsel including Arthur Grant, Coping and John Jacobs continues.

In Stony Hill, vendors Jennifer Campbell, 46, of Grant’s Pen Avenue, Kingston 8, and Raphael Dallas, 71, of Golden Hill in Pinto, St. Andrew, face charges after CCTV allegedly captured a missing purse changing hands in a parking lot. Campbell is charged with larceny by finding and Dallas with aiding and abetting. Police say that between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10, a woman left her vehicle in a lot to visit a nearby supermarket and found her purse gone on return. Footage allegedly shows Campbell finding the purse, hiding it in a bag she carried, approaching Dallas, removing items, then giving him the purse before both walked off. Both were arrested, charged after questioning, and await a court date.