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Police in Jamaica are reportedly investigating whether the murder of New Zealander John Terry in Jamaica was a gay-hate crime.
Mr Terry, 65, who was honorary consul to the British High Commission in Jamaica was found murdered at his Montego Bay home on Wednesday local time.
His severely beaten body was discovered with a cord and an item of clothing tied around his neck, the Times Online reported today.
The death was confirmed by Britain's Foreign Office.
"The Jamaican police are investigating the circumstances and we are in close touch with them," a spokesman said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington said today it was aware of the death, but had not been advised of Mr Terry's New Zealand connection.
A trail of bloodstains was found throughout the home of Mr Terry, who worked as a magistrate on the island and had been appointed MBE in the early 1990s.
Police believed that Mr Terry, who was married but separated from his wife, knew his attacker.
Reports suggested his wallet and mobile phone were stolen in a bid to make it look like a robbery gone wrong.
The Times Online said police were investigating the possibility that the attack might have been homophobic after a handwritten note on his body described him as a "batty man", local slang for a homosexual.
The note said: "This is what will happen to ALL gays." It was signed: "Gay-Man".
Go-Jamaica website reported that police were now searching for all people who had recently been in the company of Mr Terry.
Last night Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, led tributes to Mr Terry, who was described as a loving father and a key member of the diplomatic team in the Caribbean.
"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," Mr Milliband said.
The former hotel manager had worked in the island's tourism trade for more than 30 years.
At the time of his death he was working at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, a resort popular with British and American tourists.
His murder had shocked diplomats, the business community and the tourism industry on the island.
Mr Terry was understood to have had a brother living in Britain. His estranged wife was thought to live in Kingston, Jamaica.
Les Green, Jamaica's Assistant Commissioner for Police, told The Times that he believed Mr Terry knew his killer.
"This seems to be somebody who knew John Terry. There were no signs of forced entry. Whoever did this knew John Terry and he would have admitted them to the house," Mr Green said.
In July New Zealand tourist Tiki Hunia, 27, was killed during an attempted robbery at a guest house where he and wife Nickie-Jean were staying.
Mr Hunia, a Hong Kong-based IT consultant and English teacher, was shot three times in the upper body when he intervened as a robber tried to take his wife's cellphone, and died later in hospital.
- NZPA
