Mon | Dec 1, 2025
MARIO DEANE TRIAL

‘I promised Mario justice’

Mother relieved as cops found guilty of manslaughter, misconduct a decade after Deane’s death

Published:Friday | May 23, 2025 | 12:10 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
Pause
Mercia Fraser shed tears of relief moments after jury fund three cops culpable in the death of her son, Mario Deane, in 2014. The cops were found guilty for manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and perverting the course of justice in the Westmorela
Ashley Anguin/Photographer
Mercia Fraser shed tears of relief moments after jury fund three cops culpable in the death of her son, Mario Deane, in 2014. The cops were found guilty for manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and perverting the course of justice in the Westmoreland Parish Court.
Mercia Fraser shed tears of relief moments after the jury found three cops culpable in the death of her son, Mario Deane, in 2014. The cops were found guilty of manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and perverting the course of justice in the Westmo
Ashley Anguin/Photographer
Mercia Fraser shed tears of relief moments after the jury found three cops culpable in the death of her son, Mario Deane, in 2014. The cops were found guilty of manslaughter, misconduct in a public office, and perverting the course of justice in the Westmoreland Parish Court.
Mario Deane’s mom, Mercia Fraser.
Ashley Anguin/Photographer
Mario Deane’s mom, Mercia Fraser.
Mario Deane
Mario Deane
The Gleaner’s coverage of Mario Deane’s death as it broke the story on August 7, 2014.
The Gleaner’s coverage of Mario Deane’s death as it broke the story on August 7, 2014.
The Gleaner’s coverage of Mario Deane’s death as it broke the story on August 7, 2014.
The Gleaner’s coverage of Mario Deane’s death as it broke the story on August 7, 2014.
1
2
3
4
5
6

WESTERN BUREAU:

More than a decade after Mario Deane succumbed to injuries sustained after being beaten while in police custody, his mother, Mercia Fraser, finally heard the word she had waited years to hear: guilty.

On Thursday, after the verdict was read in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, Fraser stood just outside the courtroom, tears running down her face, her body trembling with emotion. The three police officers charged in connection with her son’s death were all found guilty.

“After all this – all the pressure that I went through and everything – it is just definitely overwhelming. I thank God most of all that He held me … . I do not know how I would feel if I did not really stick to this race,” Fraser told The Gleaner.

Corporal Elaine Stewart and Constables Juliana Clevon and Marlon Grant were found guilty by a jury of manslaughter and misconduct in public office – charges stemming from Deane’s death on August 6, 2014, three days after he was beaten while detained at the Barnett Street Police Station in St James for possession of a ganja spliff. He was 31 years old.

Stewart was also convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The court heard that she ordered the jail cell where Deane was attacked to be cleaned before investigators from the Independent Commission of Investigations could arrive.

SIX-TO-ONE VERDICT

Inside the courtroom, as the seven-member jury delivered the six-to-one verdict before High Court Justice Courtney Daye, Stewart and Grant sat in silence, their faces marked by resignation. Clevon, overwhelmed, lowered her head and cried quietly in the dock.

For Fraser, it was more than just a legal outcome – it was a moment of truth in a country where justice can often feel out of reach.

“I used to say that I am not even sure I would get justice in Jamaica. But it is not just Mario who got justice today as I know many more people who have lost their sons in this kind of condition. They really feel a bit of relief,” said Fraser.

Her voice shook with emotion as she recalled the promise she made to her son.

“There are times I really felt weak and I really felt like I could not make it, but I promised my son on his deathbed that I would see to it that he would get justice. Today, I am grateful that I really stood up to see the end of it, and I am just too overwhelmed right now,” she added.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, human rights lobby Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) welcomed the verdict, commending Fraser for her “unwavering courage and resilience in her pursuit of justice ... despite repeated delays and immense personal loss”.

PAINFUL REALITY

It added: “This case underscores the painful reality that too many victims of state violence and their families continue to face: a justice system marked by protracted delays, lack of transparency, and insufficient redress.”

JFJ said it would continue to advocate for victims of state abuse whose cases have languished for years without closure.

“We will continue to press for reforms that ensure timely justice, stronger accountability mechanisms, and the protection of every Jamaican’s right to life and dignity. Swift justice is not a privilege. It is a fundamental right without which accountability loses its meaning and public trust in the system erodes,” JFJ said.

Attorney-at-law Martyn Thomas, who represented Stewart and Grant throughout the 36-day trial, expressed disappointment with the verdict but said the legal team respected the process. Clevon was represented by attorney Dalton Reid.

Thomas said the trio and their legal teams would now contemplate their legal options.

“For now, we just have to deal with our clients’ sentencing, and at the end of the day, they will have to decide whether they will appeal the matter,” he said.

The convicted cops will return to court for sentencing on July 1. Their bail has been extended until then with added conditions that they must report to the Area One Police Division headquarters twice a week.

For Mercia Fraser, that date will be another step in a journey she never asked to walk – but one she has faced with strength.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com