The burnt-out room at Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Ann, where five wards were killed on May 22. Two more subsequently died as a result of injuries sustained. - Contributed

A TEARFUL 14-year-old ward yesterday caused the commission of enquiry to take an early break as tears rolled down her cheek when she was asked about a colleague who got burnt during the May 22 fire at Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre.

"Her whole body had burns, from her head to her toe," the girl said before pausing.

"Do I have to talk about it?" she asked in a lowered voice.

"Her skin come off," she continued. However, the young girl did not get any further as she began to cry, causing the 12th day of the commission of enquiry to take a break approximately 15 minutes before the usual time, as the ward was allowed time to recover.

Objections overruled

It was this incident that caused retired Justice Paul Harrison, commissioner of the enquiry, to place a 20-minute time frame on the cross examination of each ward by each attorney when the enquiry resumed in the afternoon. While there were objections from Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, who represents the Office of the Children's Advocate, and Howard Hamilton, who is representing the Office of the Public Defender, Justice Harrison made no changes.

The 14-year-old ward told the enquiry yesterday that, when they refused to listen to a colleague's request to calm down, she heard the policeman say "talking nah help" before leaving Armadale and returning "with a container in his hand".

Tear gas thrown by cop

She said the container was round with a ring on top and she saw the officer throw the object into the building through the front window. The ward said she knew it was tear gas, as she had seen it used by police in a previous situation.

A second ward, who also testified yesterday, was outspoken and quick to give answers. She, too, said she saw the policeman open the top of a grey object and "fling it een through the window". She said it dropped on a ward's chest, but was brushed on to a bed, and smoke started to come out.

"Smoke start to come out dere and it burn yuh eye and yuh nose," she recalled, as she explained that she rushed to the window to get fresh air.

What happened afterwards caught her eye, and sent them scurrying to get outside.

"When me turn roun' an look pon di bed mi see fire an' mi decide say mi not staying in dere. Everybody start rush to the back window," she said.

Like the ward who testified before her, the 15-year-old said Caldeen Shaw-Slack and Dian Gilbert assisted in pulling the girls through the back window when they realised fire was in the building.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com