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By: Catherine A. Ross

British consul in Jamaica murdered in 'batty man' attack

A British honorary consul murdered in Jamaica may have been the victim of a homophobic attack, information from local police now suggests.
 
The body of John Terry, 65, was found in the bedroom of his home in Mount Carey , St James, on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said he had been beaten and strangled and had severe head injuries. The post-mortem report stated death was the result of asphyxia due to ligature strangulation associated with injuries to the neck and head.
 
Detective Michael Garrick said: "His head and upper body were repeatedly hit with with a heavy object, believed to be the base of a bed lamp."
The body had a cord and clothing tied around the neck. 
 
It was reported today that a handwritten note found with Terry's body called him a "batty man" - Jamaican abusive slang for a homosexual - and warned "This is what will happen to ALL gays" and was signed "Gay-Man".
 
Terry was last seen alive the previous night after leaving the Half Moon Bay hotel where he worked as a maintenance supervisor. 

There was no sign of forced entry at his house and police do not believe robbery was the motive for his murder.
 
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, residents saw a young man leaving Terry's house on Tuesday night who then asked where he could get transport to downtown Montego Bay . "There are no new developments up to this time, but we believe, however, that the person who murdered Mr Terry was close to him," Detective Garrick said.
 
Terry, who is believed to have separated from his wife over three years ago, had lived in Jamaica since 1967. He was awarded an MBE in 1992.

In a statement, the foreign secretary, David Milliband, said: "John Terry was a key member of our team in Jamaica and had been an honorary consul for thirteen years, but with many years of other service to the British community in Jamaica before then.
 
"Honorary consuls like John play a valuable role in our work overseas and this was especially true of John, who helped many, many British visitors to Jamaica over the years."
 
Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world - there were more than 1,600 last year - but is also considered by many gay rights organisations to be the 'most homophobic place on earth'.

Sex between men can carry a 10-year jail sentence or hard labour, and in 2006, opposition leader and now prime minister Bruce Golding promised that any cabinet formed by him would be one where homosexuals "would find no solace."