St. Thomas business man 50 year old Michael McLean is to spend 48 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

McLean was convicted last month of six counts of murder in relation to a St. Thomas family.

Justice Bertram Morrison, in handing down the six life sentences this morning lamented that hanging was not an option open to him.

McLean was sentenced to life imprisonment on all the counts and ordered to serve 20 years before parole on each count for the February 2006 murders.

However, in respect of the first three counts the judge ordered that McLean must serve 60 years before parole.

McLean has been in custody for 12 years and Justice Morrison ordered that the 12 years must be deducted from the 60 years.

Those killed are McLean’s girlfriend Terry Ann Mohammed and her son nine year-old Jessie O’Gilvie and her niece Patrice Martin McCool, as well as Patrice’s children three-year-old Lloyd McCool, six-year-old Jihad McCool and nine-year-old Sean Chin.

Five of the victims had their throats slashed while one of the children was buried in a shallow grave.

McLean said in his defence that he was innocent of the charges.