A detective constable a few moments ago testified that murder accused Andre Ruddock confessed to him that he killed 39-year-old Taneka Gardner at the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion St James.

Gardner was killed on October 17, 2021, as part of what has been described as a human sacrifice ritual at the church.

Ruddock is alleged to have cut her throat on the instructions of his now-deceased pastor, Dr Kevin Smith, who allegedly told Gardner that her blood was unclean and therefore she had to die. The pastor allegedly asked her if she believed he could bring her back to life if she was killed. After she repeatedly said she believed, her throat was cut, allegedly by Ruddock after another man hesitated to carry out the pastor’s order to slash her throat.

Both Ruddock and Gardner were members of Smith’s flock.

The detective constable took the witness stand for the first time in the Home Circuit Court murder trial of Ruddock in downtown Kingston. He is the seventh witness to take the stand.

The detective explained that when he arrived at the scene around 11:00 pm he was pointed to two men in handcuffs who were sitting on the ground by a big gate leading to the church. One of the men was identified to the detective as Kevin Smith. The other man was identified to him as Andre Ruddock. The only sort of clothing both had on was underwear.

After receiving certain details regarding the incident, the cop led Ruddock away from the pastor and took him inside the building, where he allowed him to put on some clothes. He proceeded to caution him by telling him that he was not obliged to say anything unless he wished to do so, but that anything he said would be taken down in writing and could be used against him in a court of law.

According to him, Ruddock decided that he had something he wished to say and allegedly began to spill the beans.

“I took him away from where he was by the gate. I allowed him to put on some clothes because he was in underpants…He immediately started talking, saying, ‘a me kill Taneka, mi naa go tell you no lie and mi ago tell you everything weh happen’.

“I asked him how he killed Taneka, and he said, ‘mi cut har neck’. I asked him why he cut Taneka’s neck, and he said, ‘mi get instructions fi do it. I asked him who instructed him, and he didn’t respond, but he was looking in the direction of the big gate where I took him from,” the detective said.

The prosecution team, comprising Latoya Bernard and Carolyn Wright, will continue the examination-in-chief of the witness. In the meantime, Ruddock’s attorneys Anthony Williams and Venice Brown are listening attentively as they prepare to cross-examine the detective constable.