MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mitchroy Sterling, who is accused of dousing a man with gasoline before setting him on fire during a dispute in a bar last April, should know shortly if the there is enough evidence against him to escalate the matter to the Circuit Court.

Sterling, who is charged with murder in connection with the death of Clyde Harty, was granted bail on Wednesday when he appeared before the St James Parish Court.

Bail was granted by Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton following an application from Sterling’s attorney Jermaine Campbell.

The judge set Sterling’s bail at $500,000 with conditions including up to three sureties, and strict reporting requirements.

He is to return to court on January 13 for a committal hearing on January 13, at which time the court will determine if the matter is to be transferred to the Circuit Court for trial.

It is alleged that Harty’s death stemmed from an incident in April 2025 that began as a verbal dispute at a bar.

According to allegations, the dispute escalated when Sterling allegedly doused Harty with gasoline and set him on fire, leaving witnesses in shock.

Harty was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital with severe burns and was airlifted to the United States for specialised treatment where he succumbed to his injuries