Scene-of-crime officer identifies police defendant in Mario Deane trial

The Westmoreland Circuit Court today heard evidence from a scene-of-crime investigator who positively identified one of the cops charged in the death Mario Deane, who was beaten in a cell and later died, as the one who took him to the cell where the incident happened.

Detective Constable Rickardo Evans, of the Area One Scene-of-Crime Unit, told the court that Constable Marlon Grant, one of the three officers now on trial, escorted him to the cell where Deane was beaten on August 3, 2014.

Evans said that Grant was instructed to escort him to the cell block at the Barnett Street Police Station in St James when he came there to process a cell at the facility on August 3.

That request for processing of the cell came to Evans the same day Deane was beaten while in custody at the Barnett Street facility for possession of a ganja spliff.

Evans told the court that he did not know Grant prior to that day and that their interaction during his visit at the Barnett Street lock-up was minimal.

High Court Justice Courtney Daye subsequently adjourned the trial for continuation on April 8, when Evans’ evidence-in-chief will continue.

Grant is on trial along with Corporal Elaine Stewart and Constable Juliana Clevon on charges of manslaughter and misconduct in a public office, under allegations that they were the officers on duty at the time when Deane was beaten at the Barnett Street lock-up.

Deane died at the Cornwall Regional Hospital three days later.

Stewart is also charged with perverting the course of justice, where she allegedly ordered for the cell where Deane was beaten to be cleaned before the arrival of Independent Commission of Investigations representatives.

- Christopher Thomas

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