‘I was the scapegoat’

Kevin Smith, the late pastor of Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James, who is alleged to have instructed murder accused Andre Ruddock to cut the throat of a fellow worshipper on October 17, 2021. MURDER accused Andre Ruddock spent his second day on the witness stand in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston trying to convince a seven-member jury that it was simply by chance that he was selected, out of 11 males, to be blamed for the killing of 39-year-old Taneka Gardner. Ruddock is on trial for murder in relation to the October 17, 2021 slaying of Gardner at Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion St James. It is alleged that Ruddock used a knife to slash Gardner’s throat on the church compound on instructions from his now deceased pastor, Dr Kevin Smith. It is alleged that Smith told Gardner that her blood was unclean and that her throat had to be cut as a result. It was said that after Smith asked Gardner if she believed he could bring her back to life if she were to be killed, the woman repeatedly said yes. Smith allegedly instructed a male member of the church to cut her throat; however, he froze and did not carry out the order. That was when Ruddock allegedly took the knife from him and carried out the pastor’s order. However, testifying from the dock during his trial, Ruddock said it was Smith who cut Gardner’s throat. On Tuesday, lead prosecutor Latoya Bernard questioned why Ruddock was the only one — of all the men who members of the security forces found at the church following the incident — to be hauled before the court for Gardner’s murder. Ruddock produced no clear response to that query. “You told us yesterday that soldiers came on to the compound. You said five were around you and the rest came on the boardwalk and searched along with some police?” Bernard asked. “Yes,” Ruddock responded. Bernard continued, “You said they also apprehended Kevin Smith and nine other males and then you went further to indicate that some other police came on the scene. You said there were 11 of us as males and that they put the females in the truck?” “Yes,” Ruddock again answered. The prosecutor appeared puzzled as to why Ruddock was handpicked, with roughly 10 witnesses in the trial implicating him in Gardner’s murder. There was one man purporting to be a direct eyewitness who testified in the trial that he saw Ruddock cut Gardner’s throat. That same witness also told the court that he saw Smith disconnect a medical tube from a male member of the church who had recently been discharged from hospital. That male member of the church bled out on the compound. While the witness said Smith was responsible for that man’s death, he said the pastor only gave the order for Gardner to be killed and insisted that it was Ruddock who carried out the order by cutting the woman’s throat. Numerous police witnesses who attended upon the scene afterwards insisted during the trial that Ruddock confessed to them that he was the one who killed Gardner. But while on the witness stand since Monday, Ruddock has sought to cast all blame on Smith. He claimed that he only confessed because he was fearful for his life after a detective physically assaulted him and forced him to confess. On Tuesday, Bernard, the stern and unrelenting prosecutor, asked, “There were 11 males held, according to you, and out of the males who were held, you were the one chosen as the scapegoat?” “That’s correct,” Ruddock said. Bernard repeated her question to Ruddock, “You were chosen as the scapegoat?” Ruddock again said, “That’s correct.” Bernard grilled Ruddock about the numerous confessions he made to detectives regarding his culpability in Gardner’s murder. She pointed out to him that not only had he made verbal confessions which were captured on video but he also signed a written caution statement as well as a question-and-answer document with 42 questions and answers. Ruddock repeatedly told the prosecutor that he had given the confessions and signed to them because he was threatened and was under duress. “I gave that caution statement under threat and duress by your police,” he told the court. Bernard suggested to him that he gave the statement because he wanted to get things off his chest, as was expressed to the detectives and two justices of the peace who were present during his caution statement and the question and answer session. Ruddock again told the prosecutor that he only signed under duress and threat. “Who feels it knows it,” he said from the witness box. Bernard further suggested to Ruddock that on October 17, 2021 when he cut Gardner’s throat, he had no lawful justification to do so because he was not attacked and Gardner had not tried to fight him. Ruddock rejected that line of argument. “I did not cut Taneka Gardner’s throat. Kevin Smith killed her,” he insisted. “I am further suggesting to you that you were not being truthful when you said Kevin Smith did it,” Bernard suggested to Ruddock. “I am truthful. Your witnesses are not truthful,” Ruddock said. The trial continues Wednesday.