Attorney suggests pastor, not Ruddock, killed woman

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Attorney-at-law Anthony Williams on Wednesday suggested to a witness that he had a grudge against his client, and that was what prompted him to accuse him of cutting the throat of 39-year-old Taneka Gardner on October 17, 2021 at the Pathways International Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James.

Williams' client, Andre Ruddock, is currently on trial for murder in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston in relation to the alleged sacrificial killing of Gardner at the church. The witness told the court that Ruddock cut Gardner's throat on the command of their now deceased pastor, Dr Kevin Smith.

Smith was killed days later during a motor vehicle crash in St Catherine while he was being brought to Kingston to be interviewed by the police in relation to the events which unfolded at the church.

The witness alleged that on the day of the incident, Smith produced a list of names and on that list was Taneka Gardner.

The witness also said that Smith summoned Gardner to come to him and after she signed 999 beside her name as she was told, she was further instructed to kneel down by the pastor.

The witness claimed that Smith spoke to Gardner and told her that her blood was unclean and that her throat had to be cut and allegedly asked Gardener if she believed that he could bring her back from the dead. The witness said Gardner responded in the affirmative more than once and that was when Smith ordered a member of the church to cut her throat but that individual froze and did not carry out the order. He said that was when, Andre Ruddock took up the mantle and cut Gardner's throat.

But Ruddock's attorney, during cross-examination, suggested to the witness that he was not telling the truth and that it was the pastor who cut Gardener's throat by himself.

The attorney suggested that the witness lied on his client because some time ago, Ruddock allegedly informed the pastor of something that the witness did which drew reprimand from Smith.

"Do you recall sometime around 2019, you had purchased some meat from a meat seller on credit from a man in St Elizabeth in the sum of $100,000 and you failed to repay him?" Williams asked the witness, but the witness said, "I never did that sir.”

Williams then suggested to the witness that he accused Ruddock of killing Gardner because Ruddock made a complaint to Smith about the non-payment.

"I never purchased any meat from any one sir," the witness said.

However, the attorney pressed on along the same line of questioning.

"You accused Mr Ruddock of telling the meat seller to publish your ID on Facebook," Williams said in his suggestion to the witness.

"I did not purchase any meat from anyone in St Elizabeth for $100,000," the witness told the attorney, however, Williams continued to accuse the witness of acting out of malice.

The witness explained to the attorney that he had no ill feelings or bad intentions towards Ruddock.

"I am suggesting to you that the person who cut Taneka Gardner's throat was your pastor and not Mr Ruddock. Do you agree with me?" Williams asked.

"I disagree with you sir," the witness said.

Williams suggested to the witness that Ruddock could not have cut Gardener's throat because he was not at the spot at the time because he had gone to fetch cows that were in the care of the church.

The attorney quizzed the witness about things he said in his statements to the police in 2021 which he said differently while giving testimony in court. Williams pointed out to the witness that he told the police he saw Ruddock use a big knife to cut off Gardner's head after he cut her throat but never told the court that information while giving his evidence.

"I suggest that it was a big lie you told the police that the head was cut off," Williams said to the witness who answered saying, “I disagree with you.”

He said he did not tell the police that he saw Ruddock cut Gardner's head off because it didn't happen. When parts of his statement were read out to him in court, the witness said the part about the head being cut off was not said by him, but accepted that he said the other parts.