WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Mario Deane case, which is being heard in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, was adjourned early on Friday due to the Crown’s inability to produce a witness.

The court is currently hearing the case against the three cops charged with a 2014 incident in which Deane was fatally beaten while in police custody.

The three accused are Corporal Elaine Stewart, and district constables Marlon Grant and Juliana Clevon, all of whom are charged with manslaughter and misconduct in a public office.

On Friday, the mother of Deane, Mercia Fraser, took the stand for the second time since the start of the trial on March 3, 2025. However, following her testimony at around 10:50 am, the Crown told Supreme Court Judge Justice Courtney Daye that two more witnesses were intended for Friday but, “it seems when I was given instructions I misspoke and misunderstood the delay my Lord and is thinking for sometime next week.”

“So, you have no other witnesses for the day?” queried Daye, to which the Crown replied, “No my Lord.”

“When next you will have your witnesses,” asked Daye.

“My Lord, I could organise them for next week but this will be based on a certain arrangement for the Crown,” stated the Crown who then asked for the Crown and the defence teams to approach the judge.

This was allowed, and after about 20 minutes, all parties returned from the judge’s chamber.

“The court is adjourning the matter until Monday, April 28, and the prosecution should have a witness available for Monday,” stated Justice Daye, who doubled down on the need for a witness to be available for the date.

Meanwhile, during Fraser’s testimony, she spoke about receiving a pair of navy blue jeans belonging to her son from a medical doctor at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, which had what appeared to be blood stains.

Fraser also testified about giving a consented oral swab to the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) for DNA sampling.

The allegations in the case 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 sustained 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 when Deane was beaten. It is further alleged that Stewart, who has an additional charge of perverting the course of justice, instructed that the cell in which the attack took place be cleaned before the arrival of investigators from Indecom.

— Anthony Lewis