Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The man accused of the murder of trade ambassador Peter King and another accused of murdering six members of a family in St Thomas appeared in the Home Circuit Court yesterday.

They were both remanded to return to court on February 29.

Sheldon Pusey, 23, labourer, of a Kingston address, who is charged with King's murder, will have a trial date set when he returns to court. Michael McLean, 39, who is charged with six counts of murder, will have his case mentioned for legal representation to be settled.

Attorney-at-law Berry Bryan, who is representing Pusey, said he hoped to get all the statements in the case before the next court date.

Public interest

Bryan told Justice Raymouth King that the trial was likely to stimulate much public interest.

Pusey is contending that he acted in self-defence when King made sexual advances on him.

King's body, with several stab wounds and the throat slashed, was found at his Waterloo apartment in St Andrew, on March 20, 2006.

McLean, told the court yesterday that he wanted to represent himself.

He is charged with the murder of Patrice George-McCool, 28; Sean Chin Jr, nine; Lloyd Marshall George-McCool, three; Jihad George-McCool, seven; Jesse O'Gilvie, nine; and Terry-Ann Mohammed, 40, all of Duhaney Pen, St. Thomas.

The six were murdered on February 26, 2006.