Corporal on trial for Mario Deane's death disputes inmate's testimony

 

Corporal Elaine Stewart, one of the three cops charged in relation to the 2014 death of Mario Deane on Thursday gave an unsworn statement in which she declared that she would have never caused harm to Deane or other inmates under her supervision.

 

Stewart, who is on trial in the Westmoreland Circuit Court alongside Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant, told presiding High Court Justice Courtney Daye that she fairly and honestly carried out her duties as the officer in charge of the Barnett Street lock-up where Deane was beaten on August 3, 2014 while in custody for possession of a ganja sliff.

 

In her unsworn statement Stewart recounted that, on the day of the incident Deane behaved boisterously during efforts to process his bail and that he openly declared that he did not like the police.

 

She said Deane was subsequently taken back into custody to give him a chance to calm down so his bail process could be completed.

 

Stewart also condemned as false, earlier witness testimony from an inmate who had told the court that she verbally abused Deane and ignored other inmates' calls for help when Deane was beaten. 

 

She told the court that the inmate's testimony about having been in the third cell on Deane's cell block was also untrue as that cell was one of two out of commission at that time.

 

Constable Stewart is charged with perverting the course of justice under allegations that she ordered the cleaning of the cell where Deane was beaten, prior to the arrival of investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations. 

 

In addition, Stewart, Clevon and Grant are jointly charged with manslaughter and misconduct in public office arising from Deane's death on August 6, 2014, three days after he was beaten.