A trial date could not be set yesterday for 39-year-old labourer Michael McLean, who is charged with the brutal murder of six members of a family in St Thomas, because he does not want legal aid.

McLean had told the court last month that relatives from abroad were going to send money to pay a lawyer. When he appeared in the Home Circuit Court yesterday his legal representation was not finalised.

Supreme Court Judge Almarie Sinclair Haynes made an order for legal aid assignment but McLean told the court that he did not want it He is in custody and is to return to court on February 26 for legal representation to be settled.

The Crown is alleging that the six deceased, who were relatives of McLean's girlfriend, were murdered between February 25 and 26, 2006. Some were chopped to death and in some cases, the throats were slashed.

McLean is charged with the murder of Patrice George McCool, 28; Sean Chin, Jr, nine; Lloyd Marshall George McCool, three; Jihad George McCool, seven; Jesse Gilvie, nine; and Terry-Ann Mohammed, 40, all of Duhaney Pen, St Thomas.