A witness in a shooting trial was sent threatening messages and promised money to lie under oath, prosecutors told the Supreme Court yesterday.

Devon Hewey, Dujon Reid-Anderson and lawyer Kamal Worrell are accused of persuading the man to give false evidence to prevent the conviction of Mr Hewey.

All three have denied conspiring to defeat justice and related offences, all of which allegedly took place between July 1 and September 23 last year.

Opening the Crown’s case yesterday, prosecutor Larissa Burgess said the witness in the original trial, Levon Thomas, had been contacted by Mr Reid-Anderson, who sent him a series of voice messages.

“The voice notes were of a threatening nature to Mr Thomas,” Ms Burgess said. “These voice notes were sent to Mr Thomas prior to him giving evidence in that particular trial.

“You may hear that Mr Reid-Anderson then, by agreement with Mr Thomas, arranged a meeting with Mr Thomas and a lawyer. That arrangement was conveyed by text message to the lawyer, Mr Worrell.”

She said that the meeting later took place between Mr Thomas and Mr Worrell, who was representing Mr Hewey in the trial.

Mr Thomas was also allegedly contacted by Mr Hewey, who promised the witness $3,500 for his testimony.

Ms Burgess said a search of Mr Hewey’s cell at Westgate Correctional Facility uncovered two cellular phones in a ventilation area, which the Crown contends were used to contact Mr Thomas, Mr Worrell and Mr Reid-Anderson.

“Part of the communication was to seal the deal,” she said. “The cellphones discovered had Devon Hewey’s DNA on them.”

During the 2014 trial, the witness testified in the Supreme Court that he knew Mr Hewey and would have recognised him if he had been one of the men responsible for the shooting.

However, the Crown said he later told police that the evidence he gave was false.

“Mr Thomas admitted to the Bermuda Police Service that he didn’t tell the truth while he was under oath and he didn’t tell the truth because it was part of a plan he devised with the defendants,” she said. “Mr Thomas decided to come clean because he was concerned about his safety and he was fearful.”

The trial continues.

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