Murder accused Ruddock was eager to confess, JP tells court

KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of two justices of the peace (JP) who met with murder accused Andre Ruddock on October 18, 2021, sought on Wednesday to substantiate the testimonies of two detectives who insisted that Ruddock was not threatened or forced to confess that he killed his church sister, 39-year-old Taneka Gardner.

Ruddock is on trial in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston for murder in relation to Gardner’s killing at the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James on October 17, 2021, during what is believed to be a human sacrifice event. It is alleged that Ruddock used a knife to cut Gardner’s throat on the instructions of his now-deceased pastor, Dr Kevin Smith.

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The JP claimed in court during examination-in-chief, led by prosecutor LaToya Bernard, that Ruddock was eager to clear the air and get things off his chest because he had committed a wrong act.