People's National Party (PNP) activist, Milton 'Tony' Welsh, who is to face trial a third time for the murder of 22-year-old Damion Hussey, was yesterday offered bail in the sum of $3.5 million with three sureties.

Justice Leighton Pusey granted Welsh bail and ordered him to return to the Home Circuit Court on January 11 when the case will be mentioned.

Welsh was first tried in October last year but the jury failed to arrive at a unanimous verdict. He faced a retrial last month but on Wednesday the jury retired for five hours and again did not arrive at a verdict.

Hussey was fatally stabbed on January 15, 2006, after a bus transporting PNP supporters was stoned in Stony Hill, St. Andrew.

The supporters came off the bus to find out who had stoned the bus. Hussey heard a noise in his yard and when he came out he was stabbed.

Welsh's defence is that he was not in the area at the time of the incident.