Jury in Mario Deane trial now deliberating

The seven-member jury in the Mario Deane trial has retired to begin deliberations on the verdicts for the three police personnel before the Westmoreland Circuit Court for his death in 2014.

Corporal Elaine Stewart and Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant have been on trial for over a month under allegations that they were on duty at the Barnett Street Police Station lock-up in St James when Deane was beaten while in custody at the facility for possession of a ganja spliff on August 3, 2014.

Deane died at the Cornwall Regional Hospital three days later.

All three defendants are charged with manslaughter and misconduct in a public office, arising from Deane's death.

Stewart is also charged with perverting the course of justice, in that she allegedly ordered the cleaning of the cell where Deane was beaten prior to the arrival of investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Prior to the jury's retirement for deliberation, presiding High Court Justice Courtney Daye concluded his summation of the case, which he began on Tuesday.

Daye instructed the jurors that, during their deliberations, they must come to a verdict for each defendant on each individual count for which they have been charged.

He also told them that they must decide whether they will take into consideration the unsworn statements that the defendants had previously given to the court.

In their unsworn statements, the defendants all refuted the testimony of the prosecution's star witness, an inmate who was in custody at the Barnett Street lock-up at the time when Deane was beaten.

The inmate had previously testified that he witnessed the defendants mistreating Deane prior to the beating, and that they later approached him and asked him not to tell anyone what he had witnessed.

- Christopher Thomas

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