KINGSTON, Jamaica — Glenroy McDermott, the detective constable who was four years ago ordered re-tried by the Court of Appeal for the 2006 murder of a wanted man, will have his second go at acquittal next month.

A November 12 trial date was set when McDermott appeared in the Home Circuit Court on Wednesday.

McDermott, 39, was sentenced to life imprisonment on February 22, 2006 and ordered to spend 20 years behind bars before being eligible for parole.

But the Court of Appeal ordered the re-trial in March 2008, citing faulty direction by the trial judge to jurors.

Attorney Valerie Neita Robertson had argued during the appeal hearing that Justice Carol Beswick was "under obligation [by] law to leave to the jury for consideration the defence established by Section 14(d) of the Constitution in that McDermott, acting pursuant to his duty to apprehend a felon, used force resulting in death".

She argued that due to this failure, McDermott, who at the time was stationed at the Elleston Road Police Station, was denied the opportunity of acquittal.

McDermott was found guilty for the November 9, 2000 murder of Michael 'Buba' Dorsett, who was wanted on several counts of shootings, rape and robbery. The unarmed Dorsett was shot following a chase in the Taylor Land area of Bull Bay.

The defence, however, said that Dorsett and another man opened fire at McDermott and another officer, who were in the area searching for men who had stolen a motor vehicle from the neighbouring parish of St Thomas.

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