THE TRIAL of the man accused of the murder of 64-year-old Ambassador Peter King began yesterday before a 12-member jury in the Home Circuit Court.

King was fatally stabbed at his Waterloo Road apartment, New Kingston, between March 19 and 20, 2006.

Sheldon Pusey, 25, is charged with King's murder.

Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh is presiding at the trial.

Issue of homosexuality

The Crown, represented by Caroline Hay, deputy director of public prosecutions, and Dahlia Findaly, Crown counsel, will be calling 15 witnesses to prove its case.

Hay, in opening the case to the jury, said the issue of homosexuality was going to be heard in the case but the jurors should have no sympathy or bias in the case. She called on the jurors to be objective and consider all the evidence presented before them.

Hay said that during the course of the case, the jurors might hear that King was a homosexual but should not allow that to colour or taint their decision. She said evidence would be given that Pusey was seen in King's company after 10 p.m. on March 19, 2006. She said that based on DNA results, there was a high probability that the other blood found at the murder scene belonged to Pusey.

A former employee of King testified yesterday that she called the police when she saw his body lying on the bedroom floor.

The accused Pusey is being represented by defence lawyer Berrie Bryan.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com