A co-accused in a $1.2 million theft trial insisted yesterday she had honoured her faith and told the truth while denying the allegations.

Keiva Maronie Durham, 44, and her husband, the Reverend Jaymo Durham, 55, have denied charges of stealing the money over seven years from four elderly women who are clients of Ageing and Disability Services.

They have also both pleaded not guilty to claims of making and using false statements in the same period from February 23, 2012 and July 31, 2019.

Mr Durham questioned his wife in the witness box and asked if she was a woman of faith, which Mrs Durham confirmed.

He then asked: “Is your faith important to you?”

She replied: “Yes.”

Mr Durham added: “Were you concerned you might feel something that would dishonour your faith?”

Again she answered yes before Mr Durham said: “Have you honoured your faith and told the truth?” to which Mrs Durham agreed.

He asked earlier in proceedings for Mrs Durham to describe her lifestyle, suggesting it was “lavish, moderate or modest”.

She said: “It is definitely not lavish. I would not even say it was moderate.”

The Durhams are both defending themselves in the case. She previously worked as an attorney and he is a lawyer.

The four alleged victims are Doreen Stevens, Nancy Locke, and Muriel and Loretta Smith.

Mr Durham told his wife: “You did not have to take the stand, but you did.”

Mrs Durham responded: “Initially I was not going to, then I decided I would.”

He asked: “What was the reason for your reluctance?”

She stated she had not wanted to “sit and talk for a very, very long time talking about anything; I prefer to be a background person”.

“I did not want to go on the stand and, two, I didn’t want to do anything or say anything outside of my character.”

Prosecutor Paula Tyndale accused Mrs Durham and her husband of siphoning the cash from the elderly women for themselves.

Before Mr Durham began questioning his wife, Ms Tyndale accused Mrs Durham, telling her: “I am saying you are responsible for the stolen money.”

She dismissed this allegation, but Ms Tyndale followed: “In respect of that amount [for the Smiths] of $44,957.93, you were complicit in the misappropriation of that amount. Would you agree with that?”

Again, Mrs Durham said: “No.”

Ms Tyndale then said: “In Nancy Locke’s receivership, you were responsible for the misappropriation of $217,651.94 from Ms Nancy Locke. Would you agree with that?”

After Mrs Durham answered no, the prosecutor said: “From the use of those funds, your husband, he was complicit with that. Do you agree with that?”

She replied: ‘No.”

The prosecutor then said: “In respect of Doreen Stevens, I suggest that $990,502.69 was misappropriated jointly by yourself and your husband from the finances of her. Would you agree with that?”

After Mrs Durham again said no, Ms Tyndale said: “I suggest also your husband misappropriated all that money himself and you assisted him.”

Mrs Durham said no for the final time.

The trial continues before Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe.

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