‘Kevin Smith killed Taneka Gardner’ - Pathways murder accused continues to reject murder statement

Murder accused Andre Ruddock has denied fabricating a story that a detective constable had instructed him to take the blame for killing Taneka Gardner on behalf of late church leader Kevin Smith.

Ruddock, who is on trial for Gardner’s murder in the Home Circuit Court, maintained under cross-examination on Tuesday that he was telling the truth.

“I am suggesting to you that on October 17, 2021, you, Andre Ruddock, cut the throat of Taneka Gardner,” lead prosecutor LaToya Bernard said.

“Not true. Kevin Smith killed Taneka Gardner,” Ruddock answered.

“I am further suggesting that you are not being truthful when you say Kevin Smith did it,” Bernard continued.

“I am being truthful. Your witness is not being truthful,” Ruddock replied.

He further denied confessing to the murder to the constable, accusing the officer of beating him and pulling his firearm on him.

The 36-year-old farmer, who was Smith’s bodyguard, was pressed on his claim that the police had instructed him to take the blame for Gardner’s killing.

“Did you hear your attorney say to the constable, ‘He said, ‘Me must take the charge fi di boss’?” Bernard asked.

Ruddock said he could not recall. He was equally uncertain whether his attorney had put to the officer his claim that Smith had promised to take care of him if he went to prison.

However, he disagreed with the suggestion that his lawyer had not put those words to the constable at any point.

Asked further whether he had heard his lawyer question the constable about the claim that the officer had told him to say he was the one who cut Gardner’s throat, Ruddock said he was not sure.

‘NOT SURE’

“Those words were never asked of him by your lawyer because you are making them up as you go along,” Bernard said.

“I’m not sure,” Ruddock replied.

“Hearing it for the first time in court,” Bernard continued.

“I’m not sure,” Ruddock repeated.

The prosecutor then turned to Ruddock’s account of the events surrounding Gardner’s death, asking why he had not raised an alarm or sought help if he had witnessed Smith killing her.

“And you never bawl out and say, ‘What is happening?’” Bernard asked.

“I was in shock,” Ruddock replied.

“And you never tek weh yuhself?” the prosecutor continued.

“Ca’ run. Police deh behind me,” he answered.

Bernard pursued the point, asking why Ruddock had not called out to the police and alerted them to what had happened.

“I couldn’t move. I was in shock,” Ruddock maintained.

“You could move. Yuh mouth could work,” Bernard said, to which Ruddock replied: “I was frightened.”

Ruddock’s account of taking cover during the gunfire involving Smith and a junior minister-in-training at the church compound also came under scrutiny.

Ruddock said he had dropped to the ground behind a column near the pedestrian gate, facing a container, where he witnessed the police returning fire.

However, a photograph of the gate shown in court suggested that it would have been impossible for Ruddock to see over it while lying on hos stomach with his face turned in the opposite direction.

He admitted that he could not see over the gate but insisted that he had seen the police firing from his position.

Attention then shifted to the caution statement Ruddock gave to the police and the circumstances under which it was recorded. He acknowledged that he had been asked whether he wanted to write the statement himself or have a detective sergeant write it for him, and that he had opted for the officer to do so.

Ruddock agreed that the officer wrote down what he said and that he signed the statement. However, he maintained that he had not given it freely and had been forced to say what was recorded.

According to him, he was “caught to say that” and to make the statements, including those in which he accepted responsibility, said he was guilty and acknowledged that he should not have done what he was commanded to do.

NO BEATING TO GIVE STATEMENT

Asked whether he had been beaten into giving the statement, he said no but claimed that he had been beaten before.

He acknowledged answering 42 questions during the interview but maintained that he had also been “caught” to give those responses.

Ruddock also told the court that the two justices of the peace did not tell him that he could remain silent or that he had the right to remain silent.

“Dem never use those words to me,” Ruddock said.

Confronted with the suggestion that he had given the caution statement and answered the questions of his own free will, he disagreed, saying: “Under fear and duress. Who feel it knows.”

Earlier in the cross-examination, Ruddock rejected Bernard’s suggestions that he and Kian Ramsay had been appointed as archangels, given knives and instructed to guard the gates and kill anyone who entered without having their names called during the deadly service at the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries on October 17, 2021, in Montego Bay.

He also denied helping to admit Gardner into the compound or approaching and holding her after being given an order to do so.

He further denied the suggestion that he had lied about being brought to the compound on the day of the incident.

He also denied being at the church before Gardner was killed.

According to Ruddock, he was unaware that the church was holding a gathering and did not know that Smith had sent out a message warning that a flood was coming.

Ruddock insisted that he was not the person who killed Gardner.

“Kevin Smith murdered Taneka Gardner, and unnu didn’t arrest him,” he said.

The trial continues today, when a defence witness is expected to take the stand.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com