A man, who was in custody the same time as Aaron Rolle said yesterday the 20-year-old was in agonising pain and that the inmate “saw death” moments before he died on February 9.

Stuart Cove’s employee Quadaro Munroe, who was the first witness to take the stand in the Coroner’s Inquest into Rolle’s death yesterday, said he was arrested on February 7th for a traffic violation.

He said he met Rolle there, who was in cell number one.

Munroe said he was placed in cell number two.

He said later, he was joined by a police officer who was arrested, who he knew as Corporal Rolle.

The witness said while he was there, he socialised with Rolle and became familiar with him.

He said on that night, Rolle told the others on the cell block that he was going to plead guilty to the charges of housebreaking and shopbreaking.

Munroe said on Friday afternoon, Rolle was collected by police officers.

He was sketchy on the time- admitting that he did not have on a watch.

However, he said Rolle was brought back to the cell block before 4:00 p.m. – when the police’s shift was changing.

He said when Rolle came back he was slouching and groaning.

Munroe said Rolle said, “My ribs feel like they are broken, I can’t breathe.”

The witness said this is when Rolle asked one of the officers for help. But he said the officer replied “You ain’t gonna try to escape from us again.”

Munroe said he told another officer about Rolle’s pain and the officer promised to get someone to take him to the hospital.

But that officer never returned.

Munroe said another officer came by much later and allowed Rolle to use the bathroom.

He said Rolle was using the bathroom about every hour since he returned to his cell and wasn’t talking much only gasping very loudly for air.

Munroe said that Rolle’s cell mate – a Haitian national – complained that Rolle was coughing up blood.

He said early Friday morning, he gave water and an officer also gave Rolle water.

Munroe said he and other suspects called out 20 to 30 times for officers to help Rolle – all to no avail.

Just a few hours later, Munroe said Rolle asked who was walking in the hallway, but there was no one there.

He said he believed that Rolle saw death coming.

He said hours later Rolle died.

The witness also admitted that when investigating officers came to interview suspects in the cell, he did not give the interviewing officer the whole story.

“I was in custody and they just killed someone. I was in fear for my life,” Munroe said.

But he was not the only witness who testified yesterday.

Previously a number of police witnesses testified that Rolle never complained about pain and that they checked on him and he appeared fine.

Also taking the witness stand was Sergeant 596 Shervard Bain.

Sgt. Bain is the officer in charge of inquiries at the Southern Police Station.

He testified that he was the officer who walked in on the scuffle between Rolle and Constables 2648 Carl Smith and 2126 Akiel Smith.

The jurors were also taken to the Southern Police Station.

There Sgt. Bain continued his testimony in the interviewing room where the scuffle reportedly occurred.

He told the jury that when he came into the room a desk was on the floor along with papers, a chair and the baton he assumed was used to restrain Rolle.

Constables 2648 Smith and 2126 Smith admitted that they used the baton to beat Rolle.

2126 Smith said he hit Rolle several times.

Sgt. Bain said the officers told him that Rolle had tried to escape through a window that was right next to the desk.

The window has aluminium shutters attached to them.

He told the court that anyone could get through that window if they used their body force.

The jurors also looked at a standard baton and the cell block where Rolle was kept.

The matter continues before Acting Coroner Jeanine Weech Gomez.