Trial of man accused of killing 6 people 11 years ago again delayed

The long delayed trial of Michael McLean, the man who allegedly killed six members of a St Thomas family, including four children, more than 11 years ago, has again been pushed back amid concerns about his health.

The trial was scheduled to commence yesterday in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston, but the unavailability of a courtroom forced the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to push it back to next Wednesday.

McLean has been in custody since 2006 and according to his attorney, Carlton Collman "he has not been keeping good health lately."

"He is suffering from high blood pressure," Collman revealed.

On February 25, 2006 residents of Duhaney Pen in St Thomas woke up to the gruesome discovery of six bodies in their community, some with their throats slashed, other with chop wounds all over.

The victims were identified as Terry-Ann Mohammed, Patrice Martin-McCool, her children Jessie O'Gilvie, nine; Sean Chin, eight; Jhaid McCool, six, and Lloyd McCool, three.

The trial has been adjourned several times due to the unavailability of courtrooms and to allow McLean to change attorneys.

Yesterday Collman indicated that prosecutors have signalled that they intend to rely on three statements his client voluntarily gave police investigators.

However, he complained that one of the statement was incomplete. "There is no indication that any signing was done [on the statement]," he explained.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Yanique Gardener Brown, in her response, made it clear "we have disclosed what we have."

"We have no photocopy or no original copy of the statement," said Gardener Brown, one of the prosecutors in the case.