Mario Deane left in jail for not cooperating with police

As the trial of the cops charged in Mario Deane's death in 2014 continues today, witness Corporal Orville Williams told the court that the 31-year-old construction worker was left in custody in hopes he would be more cooperative.

Williams made the admission while responding to questions from defence attorney Martyn Thomas in the Westmoreland Circuit Court this morning, during the seventh day of the trial of Corporal Elaine Stewart and Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant.

Continuing his cross-examination testimony from Thursday, March 13, Williams told the court that he wrote the word "bail" next to Deane's name while processing him when Deane was brought into custody at the Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay, St James, for possession of a ganja spliff on August 3, 2014.

However, he said he drew a line through the word when Deane refused to cooperate with the police regarding his address.

"By placing him on the bench, was there any hope on your part that Mr Deane would have cooperated with the police and then been let out on bail?" asked attorney Thomas.

"Yes, sir," Williams replied.

Williams had previously testified that Deane could have been bailed on his own surety based on the nature of the ganja possession charge but that he required a surety to bail him because he could not provide the police with proper directions to his address.

Stewart, Clevon, and Grant are charged with manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and taking steps to pervert the course of justice, under allegations that they were on duty at the Barnett Street Police Station lock-up on August 3, 2014, when Deane was beaten while in custody.

Deane died in the hospital 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

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