Cops charged in beating death of Mario Deane to stand trial on November 11

WESTERN BUREAU:

The three police officers, who were arrested and charged in connection with the 2014 beating death of St James resident Mario Deane, are slated to appear in the St James Circuit Court on November 11 to answer to the charges against them.

Attorney-at-law Martyn Thomas, who is part of the defence team for Corporal Elaine Stewart and District Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant, told The Gleaner that while the case was previously slated for hearing on November 18, the matter was brought up on Tuesday to reschedule the date because the Circuit Court’s current sitting will soon end.

“Although the matter was originally set for November 18, it was brought up early because the current term ends on November 15. It is now set for trial on November 11,” Thomas said.

The three police officers’ trial has been put off multiple times since their first appearance in the St James Circuit Court on September 18, 2018. They are charged with manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and perverting the course of justice.

The allegations against the trio are that, while they were on duty at the Barnett Street police lock-up, in Montego Bay, on August 3, 2014, Deane was brutally beaten while in custody. The then 31-year-old man was arrested earlier that day for possession of a ganja spliff.

Following the beating, which resulted in significant damage to internal organs, Deane was admitted to Cornwall Regional Hospital in an unresponsive state. He died three days later without regaining consciousness.

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

Following the trio’s court appearance on September 18, 2018, the case was mentioned on October 2 and 10 that year for a case management hearing to agree on what evidence would be deliberated at trial. It was mentioned on January 11 and 31, 2019, where full disclosure of documents was not done, and again on March 28, 2019, when a trial date was set for March 10, 2020.

However, the trial was rescheduled to September 21, 2020 due to a lack of jurors and the absence of the investigating officer. On that date, it was put off to January 18, 2021 because the defendants’ lawyers wanted their clients to undergo a jury trial, despite jury trials being restricted because of the pandemic.

On January 18, 2021, the trial’s anticipated start was scheduled for September 16 that year following further discussions with the lawyers. Then on the next date, it was rescheduled yet again to April 20, 2022.

Prior to Tuesday’s sitting, the case was mentioned and put off on June 10 this year, and then again on June 24, due to insufficient jurors to start the trial on both dates.