By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A WOMAN testified yesterday that she believes her mother’s former partner set their house on fire and threatened to kill her.
Randy Miller was accused of making death threats to Hellisha Demeritte last September.
When he first appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis last year, he denied the allegation and the case was adjourned for trial.
Yesterday, Ms Demeritte gave sworn evidence against Miller in court.
She said Miller was in a relationship with her mother and he lived in their home for a “couple of months”. She said after they broke up, her mother “kicked him out” of their home and he “busted her windows”.
Ms Demeritte said a few days after the split, her mother came to her and said she saw Miller lurking around the area, so she was going to look for him. She said sometime later, her sister told her that their house was on fire.
“Apparently the house was on fire in the front room and my room,” she said. “Me and my uncle (put) out the fire with pails of water and pots. All the neighbours came out and we were standing outside. My mom came back and then went to the station.”
Ms Demeritte said Miller then called her uncle and he placed the call on speaker phone to allow them to listen. She said when she asked Miller why he tried to kill her and her sisters he told her: “Next time I’m going to kill all of you.”
“I felt very scared (so) I went to the Central Detective Unit and reported the incident,” she continued. “I just had to (put) out the fire with my siblings, now here it is, this guy is threatening my life.”
When Miller’s attorney told Ms Demeritte she had no way to prove it was his client who started the fire in their home, she responded: “My neighbour said she saw when Randy come into the house. After a fire, why would somebody call and say ‘What going on ‘round here?’ If Randy didn’t start the fire, why is he threatening me?”
The case continues on July 7.
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