AUGUSTA — A woman who allegedly drove an accused arsonist and his gas can to the fire scene and has received immunity from prosecution testified Monday on the third day of Raymond Bellavance Jr.’s trial in Kennebec County Superior Court.

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.

William Baghdoyan, an attorney for witness Emma Wood, told Justice Michaela Murphy that Wood was given immunity from prosecution for any involvement with the fire, but might invoke her 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination if asked about her use of illegal drugs in that time period.

“You’ve been given immunity,” Murphy told Wood, ordering her to answer all questions from attorneys just before the jury returned to the courtroom.

Wood testified she drove Bellavance, who was a friend of her then-boyfriend Thomas Mulkern, a number of times, including on trips in 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, but she could not recall the date or precisely where she dropped them off.

Wood said she was using a variety of drugs, mostly cocaine, pills, including oxycontin and percocet, and some heroin.

She said she had gone through several cars, but believed she drove them in her white Ford Escort.

“They’re all snapshots of things I remember,” she said.

She recalled getting the gas at a large gas station, but said “nothing fixes the date.”

Bellavance’s aunt, Laurette Kalloch of Augusta, testified she awoke about 5 a.m. June 3, 2009, to heavy pounding on her front door just off Dam Pond Road.

She said it was Bellavance, who said, “Ma tante, it’s little Ray.”

Bellavance told her his truck had gone into a pond and he wanted to use her phone. He also asked for a T-shirt because his was soaked.

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

“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 — where the waitresses didn’t wear tops — as much as twice a day. But he 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. He said his wife might learn he was there.

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

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 and he was jealous of her working there and believed she was involved sexually with Lunt as well as with Donald Crabtree, owner of the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop.

Crabtree testified on Thursday that he had a 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, who wore a short-sleeved jail uniform over a bright orange long-sleeved sweatshirt, testified Bellavance asked him for an alibi when he 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, who became red in the face and started breathing heavily on the stand as the questioning went on, said Bellavance denied involvement with the fire.

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.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

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