Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The man who is charged with the murder of Ambassador Peter King is contending that he acted in self defence when he stabbed King.

Attorney-at-law Beresford Bryan made the disclosure yesterday when he made a bail application for 23-year-old Sheldon Pusey, who is charged with King's murder.

King, 64, a respected member of Jamaica's trade sector for over 40 years, was fatally stabbed at his Waterloo Avenue apartment, New Kingston in March last year. King's throat was slashed. King had a party at his apartment on March 19 last year and his body was found in his apartment the following day.

Mr. Bryan told Resident Magistrate Frank Williams that someone had sent Pusey to King to get a job. When Pusey went to King's apartment, King locked Pusey in a room and tried to make sexual advances at him.

Defending his honour

He said Pusey had to fight to defend his honour. He said Pusey was fighting for his life and he just stabbed King and ran away. Mr. Bryan said Pusey never burgled the house. He said further that Pusey was not a homosexual and there was medical evidence to support that.

The police said they were opposing bail because it took them a year to find Pusey. He was held in Oracabessa, St. Mary in February and was charged in March.

RM Williams turned down the bail application and ordered Pusey to return to the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on July 12.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com