Star Witness Says Someone Tried To Burn Him Up In His Prison Cell.  He Added That Centennial Towers Co-Defendants “Are Not Innocent”

By Alric Lindsay

The high-stakes Grand Court trial concerning the attempted murder Centennial Towers shooting intensified this afternoon, October 27, 2026.  The prosecution attempted to systematically dismantle previous defence assertions by exposing the precise mechanics behind a recorded jailhouse confession that cracked the multi-defendant attempted murder probe wide open.

Taking the witness stand on Day 7 before Justice Peters, the Crown’s star witness, Jimmal Facey, underwent a gruelling re-examination by lead prosecutor Vickers KC.  Vickers KC focused heavily on a watershed custody interview from March 2, 2025. During this session, Facey said he admitted to handling a loaded .38 calibre revolver, and stated he was prepared to accept any judicial punishment.

When Vickers KC said that defence advocates suggested Facey was fabricating evidence to save himself by dragging down four innocent men, Facey declared: “They are not innocent.”

Background: The Centennial Towers Incident And Protection Deal

The trial stems from a coordinated, near-fatal shooting ambush in front of the Subway restaurant at the Centennial Towers commercial complex in West Bay. Gunmen targeted individuals walking outside the Subway restaurant, causing structural damage—including a shattered storefront—before fleeing the area. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) subsequently arrested what they thought was an interlocking web of co-conspirators tied to an alleged, broader dispute from Jungle Bar some months before.

The case took a dramatic legal turn when Jimmal Facey, originally a primary suspect, secured an official government protection agreement granting him immunity from attempted murder prosecutions in exchange for his testimony. Facey’s credibility has since become the central battleground of the trial. Defence King’s Counsel have subjected Facey to an unrelenting forensic gauntlet, systematically exposing shifting statements, alleged phone data wipes, and critical CCTV blind spots, alongside Facey’s recent admissions that he was “high” during early police interviews.

The Task Force Investigation

Today’s afternoon session reached a peak with the introduction of Detective Inspector Wright, a veteran officer attached to the specialized RCIPS Crime Task Force. DI Wright began his key testimony regarding the chaotic early hours of February 22, 2025, mapping out two crime scenes on the same night, one of which involved a bullet-riddled construction zone on Birch Tree Hill Road, and the other relating to an attempted murder in the parking lot at Centennial Towers.

DI Wright testified that he arrived at Centennial Towers at 5:50 am, observing the structural destruction and securing immediate access to commercial CCTV files. Shortly thereafter, at the West Bay Police Station, the Inspector examined a black Honda Fit that bore unmistakable, fresh bullet strikes to its front bumper.

Jailhouse Confession And Security Breaches

The case took a dramatic turn in 2025, when Facey was brought before a summary magistrate and openly expressed terror for his life, claiming he could not be safely housed within the general population of His Majesty’s Prison. The court heard that Facey’s fears of custodial violence were severe; the defendant testified that he awoke in his cell to find his mattress, blanket, and clothing engulfed in flames, an incident that left him with severe burns to his left wrist and forearm that required treatment at George Town Hospital.

Adding to these safety concerns, DI Wright testified that when he met with Facey at HMP Northward, the defendant reported that he was being actively assaulted by other inmates. Facey explicitly identified his attackers by name as notorious prisoners Roland Welcome and Antascio Rankine. DI Wright confirmed under cross-examination that he took these allegations seriously and personally promised the defendant he would escalate the security breach directly to the Prison Director.

The court heard that the historic confession interview almost didn’t happen. DI Wright testified that when Facey first approached him inside the cells stating that he wanted to speak to him about the case, the Inspector immediately blocked the disclosure. Implementing strict constitutional safeguards, DI Wright cautioned the suspect and told him he must consult his defence attorney first. It was only after this that DI Wright returned to the detention centre to speak to Facey.

DI Wright then activated audio and video recording equipment within a secure interview suite. According to DI Wright’s testimony, Facey confessed that his previous statements to the police were complete fabrications. Over the course of a detailed interview, Facey supplied a comprehensive timeline of the shooting plot, explicitly naming co-defendants Dabian Ebanks, Austin Crawford, Jamie Ebanks and a mysterious third associate known only as “Bubbles.” Facey unreservedly identified “Bubbles” as the primary triggerman who physically discharged the firearm.

The recorded confession detailed a frantic physical flight sequence that wound from Kelly’s Bar through a network of backroads, terminating at Schooner Lane, where Firearm Response Unit officers initially deployed to intercept the suspects. Facey admitted that the plot concluded with him being arrested outside his own residence.

Unmasking “Bubbles”

The workflow behind preserving this confession became a battleground for the defence, as DI Wright revealed he personally spent hours typing the formalized witness statement line-by-line from raw transcripts.

When DI Wright returned to HMP Northward to execute the paperwork, a fresh hurdle arose: Facey could not read well and sat staring blankly at the typed pages. To ensure total transparency, DI Wright read the entire document slowly to Facey word-for-word. Facey verbally agreed with the accuracy of the text and signed it.

The most explosive revelation was saved for the final moments of the afternoon session. DI Wright testified that immediately after signing the confession, Facey completely unmasked his primary co-conspirator. He informed the police the shooter he called “Bubbles” was a local man named Jared Johnson.

When DI Wright was asked by Vickers KC if he asked Facey any questions about Jared Johnson, DI Wright initially faltered, stating he could not recall.

However, after Vickers KC asked the Inspector to refresh his memory using the physical witness statement file produced in court, DI Wright corrected his testimony, confirming: “I asked him where Jared Johnson lived.” Armed with that crucial geographic anchor, the RCIPS immediately launched localized inquiries about Johnson.

The prosecution’s examination-in-chief of Detective Inspector Wright did not conclude by the end of the day. His vital evidentiary statements are scheduled to continue when the Grand Court resumes on October 28, 2026.