Tyson Beckford Refuses To Pay Lawyer In Nephew's Murder Trial

Tyson Beckford has refused to pay his nephew’s mounting legal bills as the 23-year-old faces a murder trial for an alleged drunken joyride that killed a beloved MTA bus driver, the lawyer for the accused killer said Tuesday.

Domonic Whilby’s lawyer, Harvey Slovis, will ask to be relieved from the case when he appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday because, he says, he’s been stiffed by the 43-year-old model/actor, who so far has only paid a small amount of a much larger retainer that was expected for trial preparation.

“I gave him the chance to pay me from the August [COURT]date to the September [COURT]date and he hasn’t, and I don’t believe he will,” Slovis told the Daily News.

“The case has gotten to a point where I can’t go forward without being paid and there’s no indication he’s going to pay me, so I have to get off the case,” he added.

Beckford fired back, telling The News that Slovis was actually fired.

“The relationship went sour because he had bad communication skills. We just found him to be very unprofessional,” Beckford said.

Beckford insisted he didn’t get an invoice from the veteran defense attorney, who has defended Jay Z and Sean Combs in the past.

He said another attorney will be appearing for Whilby on Wednesday but wouldn’t give a name.

Slovis has previously argued Whilby was too drunk to form intent when he allegedly stole a truck outside the Dream Hotel last Feb. 12.

Prosecutors said Whilby then jackknifed the heisted ride into the side of an M14 bus driven by victim William Pena.

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