Freeport egg farmer gets $250,000 bail for attempted murder

A Freeport egg farmer charged with almost beating Freeport resident Clyde “Truck” McCleary to death on Saturday has been granted $250,000 bail by a Couva magistrate.

On Tuesday, Joel Juman, 20, of Christian Village, Freeport, appeared before senior magistrate Alexander Prince on the charge of attempted murder.

He was granted $250,000 bail with a surety and ordered to have no communication with McCleary; stay 100 metres away from him; and report to the Freeport police station on Mondays and Thursdays.

Juman is represented by attorney Bhimal Maharajh and will return to court on November 22.

It is alleged McCleary was beaten with a cutlass and hammer by a group of neighbours and set on fire. He was also chopped on both ears and his left hand before one of his attackers threw a liquid on him and another set him ablaze with a cigarette lighter.

McCleary was then thrown into a drain full of water before his attackers ran off. The water in the drain extinguished the fire. Police found McCleary partially submerged in the drain.

They are yet to hold two other suspects.