Sonia Taylor believes money may have been the reason her brother Ricardo chopped the pastor of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God at the New Kingston church on Friday.

"Di night before it happened, him was on the verandah and mi hear him saying 'when mi go deh tomorrow deh bwoy deh haffi go gimme all a mi money'. Di morning when mi wake mi seh beg yuh a money and him seh to mi seh him nuh have none but him a go deal wid some so when him come back him will give me," said Taylor. While admitting that her brother was an outpatient of Bellevue, she said he may have been driven to commit the act because of money.

No trouble

"While him head go an' come, him wasn't violent. Him never trouble people in the community. The only time him get off a when him nuh have no money. At the time him was normal 'cause him did go get him shot."

When THE STAR contacted the church, we were informed that the pastors were in a meeting and were unavailable. We later received a call from the church's lawyer, however, but she did not comment on the matter.

Ricardo, 46, of Arnett Gardens, was shot dead at the New Kingston Police Post after he reportedly attacked a police personnel with a knife. Taylor was brought to the post minutes after he had chopped the pastor during service at the church near to the police post.

Taylor said her brother was told he would receive a blessing if he threw his tithes.

"From what I understand, he was told to throw tithes and God would bless his daughter. I remember once he sold me a bag of coal and I gave him $350. Later in the day when I saw him he was asking me for money. When I asked him about the money I had given him in the morning he said he had thrown it as tithes because God would bless him," said Taylor.

"Mi mus' admit, when him leave the yard di morning, him did have the cutlass in a him bag. But, him go other church before and never chop nobody. Him was always there and 6 o'clock every morning him wake up and listen dem. Him never miss a programme. But all now him nuh receive no form of blessing wha dem talk 'bout."

Taylor said after the incident the church admitted that her brother had been a regular attendee. She said the pastor told her that he was quiet and never gave trouble. "Dem seh dem know seh him was mental so when we ask him (the pastor) why him never call we dem seh dem was afraid of him," she said.

"If dem did fraid a him why dem neva try contact we fi talk to him. We never know seh him was going there until him dead."