Jury Begins Deliberations in Trial of Cops Accused in Mario Deane’s Death

Westmoreland, Jamaica — The seven-member jury in the long-awaited trial of three police officers charged in the 2014 death of Mario Deane has been handed the case for deliberation. This comes more than a decade after the 31-year-old construction worker was fatally beaten while in police custody.

Presiding Supreme Court Judge Justice Courtney Daye handed over the case to the jury on Thursday at 1:38 p.m. in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, following the completion of his summation and legal instructions. The jurors were directed to deliberate on each of the three charges individually: manslaughter by gross negligence (Count 3), misconduct in public office (Count 2), and perverting the course of justice (Count 1).

The accused — Corporal Elaine Stewart and district constables Marlon Grant and Juliana Clevon — are all charged with manslaughter and misconduct in a public office. In addition, Stewart faces a separate charge of doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice.

According to the prosecution, Deane was arrested on August 3, 2014, for possession of a ganja spliff and detained at the Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay, St James. While in custody, Deane was allegedly beaten so severely that he suffered traumatic brain injuries, leaving him in a coma. He died three days later at Cornwall Regional Hospital.

Investigators allege that the three officers were on duty at the time of the incident and failed in their duty of care to protect Deane. It is also alleged that Stewart ordered the jail cell cleaned before investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) arrived, an act seen as an attempt to obstruct justice.

The case has drawn national and international attention over the years, sparking public outcry and renewed discussions about police accountability and custodial violence in Jamaica.

The jury is expected to deliver its verdict in the coming days.