There were fireworks yesterday at the trial of the man accused of the murder of 64-year-old Ambassador Peter King, resulting in Senior Puisne Judge Marva McIntosh calling on defence lawyer Berry Bryan to be courteous to the court.

"I have no intention of controlling the prosecution witness," Bryan responded when the judge told him that he was causing hearsay to be admitted into evidence.

"It is your court, you have the right to gag me. You have the right to control me," he added.

The judge, who was obviously upset, remarked: "I have never disturbed you. You speak while I am speaking, I don't know why you embark on this course."

The judge made it clear that she expected Bryan to be courteous to her because she had always been courteous to him.

The exchange took place when Bryan was cross-examining a witness. Prosecutor Caroline Hay had objected to the line of questioning and indicated that Bryan was seeking to put hearsay into evidence.

Sheldon Pusey, 26, has been on trial in the Home Circuit Court since January 19 for King's murder. King was chopped and stabbed several times in his home at 11A Waterloo Road, St Andrew, on March 19 or 20, 2006.

A prosecution witness testified yesterday that in 2005, he saw Pusey at King's house.

He said that on the afternoon of March 19, 2006, he saw Pusey at King's house.

Cross-examined the witness admitted that he was a homosexual, but he said he had never had a sexual relationship with King. Three witnesses have so far testified to seeing Pusey at King's house on March 19, 2006.

barbara.gayle@gleanerjm.com