Murder of British Diplomat in Jamaica May be Homophobic Attack

A note left on the body of John Terry, the British diplomat found murdered in Jamaica, has led to suspicions that he was the victim of a homophobic attack.

Mr Terry, 65, had lived in Jamaica since 1967 and had been the honorary consul for the British High Commission for 13 of those years, a role that typically includes assisting British nationals who find themselves in difficulties whilst on the Caribbean island, acting as a representative for the Commission at official functions and promoting links between Britain and local industries. According to the Guardian an honorary consul will usually receive some form of payment for their services, £2,000 ($3,300) per annum being the figure that was mentioned. A native of New Zealand, Mr Terry was, reports the Daily Mail, awarded the MBE in 1992 in recognition of his services to tourism. Mr Terry's home was in Mount Carey, close to Montego Bay, whilst his wife, from whom he is separated, lives in the Jamaican capital Kingston with the couple's three children. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said that he is "deeply saddened" by the death of Mr Terry, whose body was found in the bedroom of his Mount Carey home. He had been beaten and strangled. However Mr Miliband's department could not confirm reports that the murder of Mr Terry was being treated as a possible homophobic attack. But the fact that the note found with Mr Terry's body reportedly used the term "batty man", slang for a homosexual, and allegedly also issued a warning that "This is what will happen to ALL gays" appears to be leading the police investigation in that direction. Robbery has virtually been ruled out as a motive, particularly as there were no signs of a break-in. Jamaica is an island with a population of some 2.9 million people. A part of the Commonwealth of Nations, it has as its official Head of State Queen Elizabeth II. Renowned for its culture, especially the various musical genres that have their origins on the island, unfortunately Jamaica also suffers from high levels of crime and has one of the highest murder rates in the world.