For the first time since the start of the Commission Of Inquiry into the March 3 unrest, an inmate who was not housed in the now burnt out Capital ‘A’ Division appeared before the tribunal on Tuesday.

Inmate Steve Bacchus took the stand at the CoI and recounted his own experience as a ‘helper’ during the March 3 deadly unrest. The 23 – year – old is one of those inmates who has maintained an active Facebook account despite the recent crackdown and seizures of cell phones.

On March 18, Bacchus posted “It’s really mess up to standby and watch my friend die even doe I broke and made an attempt to break out and come to your rescue it was too late but rip my friends until the end of time like is so complicated at time but just make the best of it whiles u have it.”

The convicted robber claimed he was forced to break out of another division within the Camp Street Prison to respond to the screams of his fellow inmates and render assistance.

Bacchus said he broke out of his division to help because he felt the prison officials were not moving fast enough. He said this was after the fire had been raging for sometime.

“The fire was burning for a good while, a lil time, because at first we thought was a joke when I hear the screaming but then I realized, they continue screaming and it was serious. it was a reasonable amount of time,” he explained.

Bacchus said he heard inmates screaming “y’all help we, help we. Open the door.”

The inmate explained that when he broke out of his Division there was no fire, police or prison officer present and he rushed to the front of the jail yard to inform the prison officials that there were still persons alive in the building who needed rescuing.

He admitted to seeing efforts being made to put out the fire and open the door but claimed that those efforts were short-lived for reasons unknown to him.