Judge urges jury to focus on evidence during deliberations in Pathways Ministries murder trial

Justice Leighton Pusey began his summation this morning in the murder trial of Andre Ruddock by urging jurors to put aside emotions, prejudice and public opinion, telling them that their responsibility was to determine the case solely on the evidence presented in court.

Pusey, while acknowledging that Taneka Gardner died a sad death, cautioned the jurors: “You are not here to send a message. That's not your job.”

The 39-year-old woman's throat was cut during an alleged sacrificial ritual killing at Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries church in St James on October 17, 2021.

Ruddock, 36, a farmer and security guard of the now-deceased church leader Kevin Smith, is on trial in the Home Circuit Court for Gardner's murder.

The judge, however, stressed that the jury must not allow the circumstances surrounding Gardner's death or anything they had heard outside the courtroom to influence their assessment of the case.

Pusey also reminded the jurors that they were the ultimate judges of the facts, while he was responsible for directing them on the law.

He explained that they were free to accept or reject what he believed to be the facts, as they would ultimately determine what facts had been established.

However, he emphasised that he was supreme on questions of law and that his legal directions were to be followed.

“You must consider what I say in relation to the law and you decide,” he told them, encouraging them to approach the case with an open mind.

The judge specifically warned against allowing prejudice arising from discussions about the church, Kevin Smith or the conduct of police officers to influence their verdict.

He said the case was not about what people thought of the police or whether officers had conducted a good investigation.

“The police can do the worst and the evidence is still there, while, on the other hand, the police can do the finest investigation and a person is found not guilty,” Pusey explained.

He said a guilty verdict had nothing to do with the quality of the investigation but must be determined by the evidence and the law.

The judge reminded the jurors that the prosecution had to prove Ruddock's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, saying that if any aspect of the evidence left them uncertain or failed to satisfy that standard, they were required to return a verdict of not guilty.

Pusey also reinforced the presumption of innocence, noting that Ruddock was not required to prove that he was a good person or establish his innocence.

He explained that the accused had the right to remain silent or give an unsworn statement and that if anything he said raised a reasonable doubt about the prosecution's evidence, the jury must find him not guilty.

The court heard that Ruddock had confessed to killing Gardner on Kevin Smith's instruction and had given a caution statement to that effect.

Ruddock also confirmed his confession in a question-and-answer session.

However, Ruddock, in his testimony, told the court that he had witnessed Smith killing Gardner and that the police had told him to take the blame for the killing.

He also claimed that he had been pressured, physically assaulted and forced to give the caution statement and participate in the question-and-answer session.

He further claimed that he was told what to say in both instances.

- Tanesha Mundle

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