MONTEGO Bay, St James — A man accused of turning an argument into a deadly inferno was denied bail when he appeared before the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Fitzroy Sterling has been charged with the murder of Clyde Harty, following a chilling incident on April 27 that left their community in shock.

According to investigators, what began as a verbal altercation at a local bar in St James escalated into a scene of horror. Sterling allegedly drenched Harty in gasoline, then ignited a fire and hurled it at him, setting the man ablaze in front of stunned onlookers.

Harty was rushed to Cornwall Regional Hospital with severe burns before being airlifted to the United States for emergency care. Despite the efforts of medical teams, he died the following day.

In offering a defence during a previous court appearance, Sterling claimed he spotted a container with a substance and threw its contents at Harty just as Harty was lighting a cigarette.

However, during Wednesday’s sitting, judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton swiftly cast doubt on that version of the event, noting that witness statements do not support Sterling’s claim.

The prosecution firmly objected to any possibility of bail, branding Sterling a nuisance in his community with a high risk of reoffending. The court clerk also revealed that when Sterling’s own father tried to bring him in to face justice, he fled.

The post-mortem, conducted overseas on May 10 remains pending, with results expected closer to the end of June.

Citing the gravity of the allegations and concerns raised by prosecutors, judge Fairclough-Hylton denied Sterling bail.

He has been remanded in custody until his next court date on June 25.