Well-known People's National Party (PNP) activist 59-year-old Milton 'Tony' Welsh, of Brandon Hill, St. Andrew, who is charged with murder, will have to remain in custody until his trial on October 22.

Welsh, who is accused of killing 22-year-old Damion Hussey, of Golden Spring, St. Andrew, was denied bail yesterday.

Dirk Harrison, acting deputy director of public prosecutions, opposed a bail application made by Welsh's lawyer Patrick Atkinson.

Mr. Justice Patrick Brooks turned down the bail application and told Welsh that he would have to remain in custody until his trial. Welsh is facing a second trial because, at his first trial in March, the jury failed to arrive at a unanimous verdict.

The case was set for trial yesterday in the Home Circuit Court, but had to be put off after the defence applied for an adjournment on the grounds that Mr. Atkinson was recently retained in the matter and the defence had just received the transcript of the trial. Norma Linton Q.C. and K.D. Knight, Q.C., had represented Welsh at the previous trial but Mr. Knight is no longer appearing for him.

The crown is alleging that Hussey was set upon and beaten on January 15 last year by a group of men. The allegations are that the men, who were travelling in a bus, were returning from a PNP rally for the official launch of the presidential campaign for National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips.