Gay hate crime feared in consul to Jamaica's death

The British consul murdered in Jamaica may have been the victim of a homophobic attack.

A note found with John Terry's body referred to him as a "batty man" – slang for a homosexual – according to reports.

The news website Go Jamaica has reported that St James police suspect Terry knew his killer. The authorities have not revealed any possible motives and no arrests have been made.

It was reported today that the handwritten note found with Terry's body was signed "Gay-Man" and warned: "This is what will happen to ALL gays."

The Foreign Office said it was not aware of any homophobic aspect. A spokeswoman said it remained in close contact with Jamaican police.

Terry, 65, was found in the bedroom of his home in Mount Carey, St James, on Wednesday. Police said he had been beaten and then strangled. The body was found with a cord and clothing around the neck.

The New Zealand-born honorary consul was described by the foreign secretary, David Miliband, as a "key member of our team". He had lived in Jamaica since 1967 and been an honorary consul for 13 years. He was awarded an MBE in 1992.

Miliband said: "I, and all his colleagues, were deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Terry, the British honorary consul in Montego Bay in Jamaica. John Terry was a key member of our team in Jamaica and had been an honorary consul for 13 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. My thoughts are with his wife and children. He will be greatly missed too by colleagues and all those who knew him."

Honorary consuls are volunteers paid a small honorarium, typically around £2,000 a year, for representing British nationals in difficulty, acting as a UK link with local industry and representing embassies and high commissions at parties and public functions.

There were more than 1,600 killings last year in Jamaica, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Gay hate crime feared in consul to Jamaica's death