Defence attorney claims Ruddock’s murder confession was coerced

Despite video footage showing murder accused Andre Ruddock comfortably confessing to cutting the throat of 39-year-old Taneka Gardner at Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries in Albion, St James in 2021, defence attorney Anthony Williams tried on Thursday to establish that his client was forced into giving the confession. Videos played in court showed a composed Ruddock at a police station in St James admitting to committing the crime. They also showed him subsequently answering 42 questions during a question and answer session.

But Williams suggested that it was while Ruddock was still at the church, and in handcuffs, that he was threatened by a detective to confess. Williams suggested to that detective, who is a witness in Ruddock’s murder trial in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston, that before his client was taken to the police station he was intimidated, draped in his waist by the detective who he also accused of slapping him, “buffing” him in the chest, and forcing him to confess because a judge would be more inclined to believe the lawman over the accused. Williams also insisted that the detective was the one who convinced Ruddock to admit to killing Gardner at the church.

Gardner was killed as part of what was said to have been human sacrifice ritual. The detective corporal, who a constable at the time of the incident, rejected all of Williams’s suggestions. Williams further tried to make his point by highlighting to the detective that before the caution statement which his client gave at the police station, in which he confessed to the killing, he was entitled to privacy with two justices of the peace before any recording of any form of statement took place.

Williams pointed out that the video recordings showed Ruddock being spoken to by two justices of the peace before the caution statement and the question and answer session were recorded. The attorney insisted that that should not have happened, pointing out that the video and audio recording should have taken place only after the private conversation between Ruddock and the two justices of the peace. Williams asked the witness if it was proper protocol for a suspect to be privately interviewed by a justice of the peace or their attorney without being taped.

“Yes, after they are allowed their private time, they would indicate to us when they are finished,” the detective replied.