The man charged with the murder of 27-year-old Australian national, Brian Johnston, is to face trial at the next session of the St. James Circuit Court, which commences on January 7.

Adrian Forrester, 37, of Granville, St. James, was committed to stand trial at the end of the preliminary examination before Resident Magistrate Evan Brown.

Nine witnesses testified at the preliminary examination, the last being Detective Superintendent William Smiley, document examiner of the Government Forensic Laboratory, who said the signatures on several documents purportedly presented or signed by the accused, using the names Adrian Foster and Adrian Forrester, were signed by the same person.

Body found in hotel room

Johnston was found dead in a room of the Gloustershire Hotel on Montego Bay's Hip Strip on the morning of August 11, 2006. He was stabbed and cut several times. Scene-of-Crime Detective Sergeant Clifton Ricketts said when he arrived at the room it had been ransacked and there were blood stains all over.

Attorney-at-law Sheron Barnes, who represented Forrester, made submissions that a prima facie case had not been made out against the accused, but RM Brown disagreed. He also turned down a bail application for Forrester.

Forrester has been in custody since his apprehension in September 2006.