‘I felt like a fool’

A witness huffed and puffed on Wednesday in the Home Circuit Court murder trial of Andre Ruddock in Kingston as defence attorney Anthony Williams cross-examined him about how he felt when his now-deceased pastor, Dr Kevin Smith, pushed his fingers into gunshot wounds he received in his back that were allegedly inflicted by the preacher.

Ruddock is on trial for murder in relation to the October 17, 2021 killing of Taneka Gardner at the Kingdom Restoration Ministries International in Albion, St James. Smith was the pastor of the church and the witness who is on the stand said he was responsible for shearing the pastor’s head, helping him get dressed for church services, and carrying his

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to the pulpit. Ruddock’s duties surrounded providing security for Smith. After trying to avoid the question about how he felt at the time of the incident, the witness eventually told the court that he felt like a fool. He told the court previously that Smith shot him twice in the back and assured him that he was immortal and could not die. He said that while he was in pain on the ground after being shot, Smith walked over to him and stuffed his fingers into the gunshot wounds. The witness also claimed that he was stabbed in the back by another member of the church, who was acting on Smith’s orders. Williams asked the witness to confirm that he told prosecutors during the trial which began last week, that he was shot in the back by Smith. “That is correct,” the witness responded. Williams then prompted him to explain again what he told prosecutors took place after he was shot twice in the back by Smith. “You said he also used his hands to do what?” Smith asked. “He pushed his fingers in the wound. I am more than positive [that happened]. I know for a fact, sir,” the witness said. The attorney asked him how long the pastor had his fingers in his wounds. The witness, who had a perturbed look on his face, told Williams that he did not know. It was at the point when Williams began to ask the witness to explain how he felt while Smith was pushing his fingers in his wounds, that the witness started huffing and puffing. That caused an angry look on his face and a piercing and penetrating gaze at the attorney. He appeared very uncomfortable. The witness asked the attorney if he could please “move forward from that question”. Williams expressed to him that that was not how it worked in court and pressed him to answer the question. The witness’ refusal to comply sparked the intervention of Judge Leighton Pusey who called his name, trying to get his attention. It was only after Pusey called his name a few times, that the witness decided to look at the judge. Instead of scolding the witness, Pusey asked Williams if it was possible to come back to the question at another time during the cross-examination to get the witness to compose himself. However, Williams expressed to the judge that the questions that were to follow had the potential of making the witness even more uncomfortable and recommended that it was better if the witness simply answered the question. Pusey instructed the witness that he should try his best to answer the questions that Williams was posing. The attorney then made another attempt. “How did you feel?” Williams asked. “I felt like a fool,” the witness answered. Williams probed whether he said anything to the pastor while he was pushing his fingers in his wounds. He told the attorney that he did not, and explained that he was in pain. Williams asked the witness about the reasons for him not making mention in any of his four statements to the police that Smith had stuck his fingers in the wound. “You gave four statements to the police. I am suggesting to you that you never told the police in any of those statements that the pastor used his finger and stick in the wound. Do you agree?” Williams asked. “I don’t remember if I did or not,” the witness said. He told the attorney that the events which unfolded at the church happened five years ago and that he didn’t carry thoughts about it in his head. “I don’t want to remember. These were very traumatic events that unfolded in my life,” he said. The attorney found it difficult to understand why even after telling the police on different occasions that he had amendments made to his multiple statements, he failed to mention anything about the pastor’s fingers in his wounds. “My suggestion is that the reason why you did not mention it in your first statement about the pastor sticking his fingers in your wounds was because that never happened. You agree?” Williams asked. “I disagree,” the witness said. “I am suggesting to you that you are lying,” Williams told the witness, prompting an objection from lead prosecutor LaToya Bernard. Williams further suggested to the witness that he was not shot by Smith, but by members of the security forces. The witness disagreed. “I am suggesting to you that you went to your bus and took out an illegal gun that you had in your bus and came back to where the pastor was and fired shots at the police,” Williams said, to which the witness responded in disagreement. Williams continued, “I am suggesting to you that it was the police in carrying out their lawful duties, returned fire and shot you. It wasn’t the pastor man who shot you”. Again, the witness disagreed. “I suggest that not only were you firing at the police, you fired as a faithful servant to your pastor who was also firing at the police,” the attorney said. Again, the witness disagreed. The trial continues today.