Absent juror stalls start of trial of cops in Mario Deane case

Today's much-anticipated start of the trial of the three cops who are charged in relation to Mario Deane's death in 2014 was abruptly halted and rescheduled to Thursday due to the unexplained absence of one of the trial's seven jurors.

The trial of Corporal Elaine Stewart and Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant was expected to start this morning in the Westmoreland Circuit Court. However, the matter was not called up until shortly after midday to facilitate enquiries into the juror's whereabouts.

It was subsequently disclosed that, based on checks made by the court, the absent juror had left home to attend court, but had forgotten her cellular phone at home. As a result, the court was not able to contact her directly to determine her whereabouts.

Presiding High Court Justice Courtney Daye informed the other six jurors that while the court had the option of empanelling a replacement juror, that avenue would require an adequate number of potential jurors for the prosecution and defence attorneys to choose from.

"That is a challenge in terms of starting the evidence in this case just now...we are not in a position to determine whether we should wait for the juror, or where she is, as the main difficulty is that she is not with her phone. It does not mean that the case cannot go on," said Daye.

The trial's start was subsequently rescheduled to March 6, by which time it is expected that contact will be made with the absent juror. Bail was extended for the three defendants.

Stewart, Clevon, and Grant are charged with manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and taking steps to pervert the course of justice, all in relation to Mario Deane's death, under allegations that they were on duty at the Barnett Street Police Station lock-up in Montego Bay, St James on August 3, 2014, at the time when Deane was reportedly beaten while in custody.

Following the alleged incident, Deane was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in an unresponsive state and died three days later.

It is also alleged that Stewart, the senior officer on duty, ordered the cleaning of the cell where the beating took place before investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations arrived.

- Christopher Thomas

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.