Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

Ivan Taylor, the prime suspect in the murder of Trinidadian schoolteacher Michelle Coudray-Greaves, was given new bail conditions when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court in St James yesterday.

The 45-year-old Taylor, who was initially offered bail in the sum of $400,000 on July 23 but failed to take up the offer, was given some relief yesterday when the sum was lowered to $300,000.

Taylor was charged with Coudray-Greaves' murder on June 30 after forensic evidence had determined that the burnt remains found in a Montego Bay canefield were those of the Trinidadian woman who went missing on June 1.

In court yesterday, Taylor's defence attorney, Stacy-Ann Young, made an application for her client's bail conditions to be varied, citing his inability to source funds for the bail amount.

"Mr Taylor is the only person here; his wife is dead and his sister is overseas," Young told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small. "His children are minors and he does not have anybody who can help him with the bail."

Young added: "Can we ask for the bail to be reduced to $200,000 with one, two or three sureties?" In reply, Wong-Small said: "I will reduce the sum to $300,000, and up to three persons can bail him. The same conditions will apply."

During the court sitting, clerk of the court Natalie Malcolm reported that several documents were still outstanding from the prosecution's case file.

"We are still awaiting a number of items that are still outstanding, including phone records, dental records and the forensic certificate," Malcolm told the court.

November 13 was set as the new mention date. The investigating officer was bound over by the court to complete the file by then.

Coudray-Greaves, who taught Spanish at Cornwall College for a term, was the mother of three children and the daughter of Marlene Coudray, minister of gender affairs in the Trinidad and Tobago government.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com