Court hears murder plot in Proctor trial

Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

THE ALLEGED plan by 89-year-old consultant botanist, Dr George Proctor, to murder his wife and three other women was outlined on Tuesday by a prosecution witness who admitted that he had been convicted of more than 60 counts of fraud.

Former hospital porter, Waldon Simpson, testified that on April 19, 2006, Proctor told him that he wanted his wife killed. He said he told Proctor it would cost $100,000 to do the job. He said Proctor said he also wanted him to kill three other women who were living at his house, and he told him it would cost more than the $100,000.

Simpson said Proctor told him that his wife was giving him problems by taking friends and family members to their house at Stanton Terrace, St Andrew. He said she was not assisting him to get to work, although she had a motorcar, was playing loud music in the house and was "keeping man" with him.

Simpson said when he asked Proctor why he did not divorce his wife, he said he would have to give her half of the house and other assets. The witness said Proctor said he wanted the murder to look like a robbery, so he should remove appliances from the home. He said Proctor told him that he was not wealthy, but he could pay the money for murdering the women in instalments.

Dr Proctor and 44-year-old driver Glenmore Fillington of Christiana, Manchester, have been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since Monday for conspiracy to murder.

'I told the police'

The Crown is alleging that the conspiracy took place between February and April 20, 2006.

The men are charged with conspiracy to murder 68-year-old retired seamstress, Leila Campbell Proctor, and three other women.Simpson said he met Fillington some years ago while they were both in jail at the Mandeville police station lock up. He said Fillington approached him in February 2006 and told him that his boss wanted someone to kill his wife. Fillington took him to meet Proctor at the University of the West Indies. He said he told the police of the plot to murder Proctor's wife, after he spoke with Fillington.