AUGUSTA – A woman who allegedly drove Raymond Bellavance Jr. with a gas can to a topless coffee shop that burned to the ground testified Monday that she could not remember when she had driven him with the can, or where she had dropped him off.

Bellavance, 50, of Winthrop, is charged with two counts of arson in connection with the June 3, 2009, fire that leveled the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro.

Witness Emma Wood was given immunity from prosecution in return for her testimony Monday on the third day of Bellavance’s trial in Kennebec County Superior Court.

She testified that she gave rides to Bellavance, who was a friend of her then-boyfriend Thomas Mulkern, a number of times, including to the area of the coffee shop.

She said the men would go four-wheeling, and she recalled one instance when Bellavance and Mulkern had a gas can with them. She recalled filling the can at a gas station, but said “nothing fixes the date.” Wood said she has used a variety of drugs, mostly cocaine, OxyContin, Percocet and some heroin.

Bellavance’s aunt, Laurette Kalloch of Augusta, testified she awoke about 5 a.m. on the day of the fire to heavy pounding on her front door. It was Bellavance, who told her his truck had gone into a pond and wanted to use her phone. He also asked for a T-shirt because his was soaked.

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Kalloch refused to allow Bellavance inside, instead throwing a portable phone and T-shirt to him from the kitchen window.

“He had some other guy with him,” Kalloch said. “He stood behind Raymond. He had a baseball hat on and he never said a word. I did not pay much attention; I just wanted them to go on their way.”

The encounter was so unusual, she called her sister that morning to tell her about it. Kalloch said she learned later that day about the fire at the coffee shop.

Also on Monday, Jason Lunt of Oakland testified he frequented the coffee shop as often as twice a day, but kept it secret from his wife.

Lunt testified he threatened to destroy the cellphone of another patron who took a photo in the coffee shop because the picture included him and he feared his wife might learn he was there.

He denied that his concern centered on Krista MacIntyre, a waitress at the coffee shop.

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Lunt repeatedly denied having a sexual relationship with MacIntyre, saying he met her through friends when he was in high school.

The prosecution maintains MacIntyre was Bellavance’s girlfriend, that he was jealous of her working there and believed she was involved sexually with Lunt as well as with Donald Crabtree, owner of the coffee shop. Crabtree testified Thursday that he had sex with MacIntyre three times.

The last witness Monday was Raymond McCray, an inmate, who said extensive brain surgery he had in May 2010 affects his memory. McCray testified that Bellavance asked him to provide an alibi when Bellavance believed he was a suspect in the coffee shop arson.

“He said he just wanted to cover his bases,” McCray said, adding that Bellavance said he had been drinking and was trying to figure out where he was.

McCray said Bellavance denied involvement with the fire, but McCray said he would not provide an alibi. “I wouldn’t lie to anybody,” McCray testified.

The trial is to continue at 8:30 a.m. today, and among the witnesses expected to testify are another inmate as well as a sergeant from Two Bridges Jail in Wiscasset.

Kennebec Journal Staff Writer Betty Adams can be contacted at 621-5631 or at:

badams@centralmaine.com

 


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