Another delay!
Snag pushes Mario Deane murder case to Thursday
SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Jurors are expected to begin hearing evidence in the Mario Deane murder case on Thursday, if all goes well. The unexplained absence of a juror scuttled plans to begin as scheduled on Tuesday; however, Supreme Court judge Justice Courtney Daye quickly made the point that this will not derail the long-awaited trial.
He said one option would be to add an alternate juror if the absent juror does not appear on Thursday. However, a final decision on that option could not be made on Tuesday.
When the matter was called up shortly after noon in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, after a two-hour delay, Justice Daye announced to an impatient audience: “One challenge has arisen. One juror is absent.”
He said checks made indicated that the juror — who lives in an area where transportation is unreliable — left home Tuesday morning but never made it to court; and she had left her phone at home.
“I have taken a decision at this point in time that we will adjourn the case… until Thursday,” stated Justice Daye.
That decision was based on his reasoning that there would not likely be an update about the absent juror before the end of that day.
Three cops are on trial in connection with Mario Deane’s death. They are Corporal Elaine Stewart, and constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant. They are all charged with manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, and misconduct in a public office.
The allegations are that Deane was arrested for possession of a ganja spliff and placed in custody, where he was brutally beaten on August 3, 2014. He received severe injuries to his brain, which left him in a coma. He died three days later at Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James.
It is alleged that the three cops were on duty at the police station at the time when Deane was beaten. It is further alleged that Corporal Stewart instructed that the cell in which the attack took place be cleaned before the arrival of investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations.
The case has dragged on for more than 10 years, hobbled by challenges including putting together a pool of jurors from St James.
