WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The sentencing hearing for the three cops found guilty for the incident in which 31-year-old construction worker Mario Deane was fatally beaten while in police custody in 2014 is currently underway in the Westmoreland Circuit Court.

The three who were found guilty by a seven-member jury on May 22 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. Stewart has an additional charge of perverting the course of justice.

During the session before lunch, the court was provided with a social enquiry and antecedents (or record of previous criminal convictions) reports, as well as an impact statement from Deane’s mother Mercia Fraser.

The antecedents report indicated that all three had no previous convictions.

In the social enquiry report, Stewart’s colleagues suggested that she can be miserable because of her high standards. Grant was described as a respectful, law-abiding and hard-working individual. His family is asking the court for leniency. As for Clevon, she was described as humble and well-mannered.

On the other hand, the impact statement from Fraser indicated that her son died at the hands of those who were expected to protect him. She said her son was loving, and caring and would always assist her and fix things around the house. Fraser also indicated that her only remaining child is now living in the United States and has been to Jamaica only once since the incident because of the impact on her. Fraser said her daughter is also taking the death of her brother hard and is suffering from depression.

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 instructed that the cell in which the attack took place be cleaned before the arrival of investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations.

Testimonies were heard in the case over 29 days and summation by the Crown, defence lawyers, and Justice over seven days. On the other hand, the case which started on March 3 experienced several days of interruption and adjournment as a result of varying reasons.

— Anthony Lewis