New date for Mario Deane police trial

WESTERN BUREAU:

The long-awaited trial of the three police officers who are facing multiple charges arising from the controversial 2014 death of Mario Deane has been rescheduled by the St James Circuit Court on September 16.

Corporal Elaine Stewart and District Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant were given the new date and had their bail extended by presiding High Court Justice Stephanie Jackson-Haisley when they appeared in court on Monday.

During the brief proceedings, attorney-at-law Martyn Thomas, who is representing Stewart and Grant, told the court that he and Clevon’s attorney, Morrel Beckford, had held previous discussions and agreed on the September 16 hearing date.

Beckford was not in court during the deliberations.

During the hearing, the prosecution also asked for subpoenas to be served on its witnesses for them to be present in court on the next hearing date. The police officers’ trial has been put off nine times since their case was first brought before the St James Circuit Court on September 18, 2018.

According to the allegations, the three officers were on duty at the Barnett Street police lock-up in Montego Bay at the time when Mario Deane was brutally beaten on August 3, 2014. He had been detained for possession of a ganja spliff.

Deane, who was 31, died three days later at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

It is also alleged that Stewart, the most senior officer of the trio, gave instructions for the cell where the beating took place to be cleaned before the arrival of investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Christopher Thomas