For a man who claimed to be marked for death George Bacchus did not appear to have taken many precautions to safeguard himself.
His execution in the wee hours of yesterday morning shocked members of the public. But it came as no surprise to his relatives and friends.
Access to his flat was very easy. The stairway to the second floor where Bacchus slept led to an open passage that was not protected by a door.
Inside that flat there is an open storeroom adjoining the room in which Bacchus met his death.
Bacchus’s bedroom has a door, but according to a relative, Bacchus never slept with that door locked. That was the only door that secured Bacchus from the outside.
Two windows adjoining his room were open. His sister-in-law, Jean Bacchus, later said that George Bacchus always slept with the windows open.
One of these windows is close to the stairway allowing for easy access to Bacchus’s bedroom. Someone could have accessed the room by way of that window.
Friends and neighbours said Bacchus was always in danger and they often heard him say, “They out to kill meh, but me ain’t frighten because the truth got to come out.”
Since coming out of hiding, Bacchus had been in constant contact with sections of the media, and access to him was often easy.
However, there is no clear indication, as far as the police are concerned, how the killer or killers accessed Bacchus’s room.
As far as protection for Bacchus was concerned, Police Commissioner Winston Felix said that the victim never approached him, despite the gravity of the events, to provide protection which must be at the instance of the individual.
When asked about the weapon used in the execution, Felix said no determination has been made so far. There have been numerous calls for a witness protection programme in the height of serious tension resulting from Bacchus’s allegations.
Last week, when Bacchus was asked about his security in the wake of further disclosures, he answered: “Who gun protect me?”