Pathways Leader Allegedly Ordered Members to Kill Police, Court Hears

The late Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries leader Kevin Smith allegedly instructed church members to kill police officers if they attempted to enter the Montego Bay church on the night of October 17, 2021, the Supreme Court heard yesterday.

The allegation came from a 23-year veteran of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, who was testifying in the murder trial of Andre Ruddock, accused of killing 39-year-old church member Taneka Gardner during an alleged sacrificial ritual at the church.

The witness told the court that after arriving outside the church, he heard a loud male voice coming from inside.

“The voice said kill the police if they tried to enter,” he testified.

The constable said he and three other police personnel had gone to the church after receiving a report of a stabbing. On arrival, they encountered about 30 people gathered outside the church gate and along the roadway.

The officers were unable to obtain information about the reported stabbing and contacted their supervisor, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who instructed them to remain in the area.

The witness said they later received another call from the DSP and proceeded to the nearby Pathways church.

It was there, he said, that they heard the loud male voice issuing instructions concerning the police.

The officers again contacted the DSP and were told to await additional support.

A special operations unit subsequently arrived.

The constable said he and another officer later moved closer to the fence with flashlights, where they saw what appeared to be a human body covered with a white sheet.

“I could see the parts of the body, the feet,” he told the court.

He said the sheet appeared wet and water was flowing from the property around the body. He also observed a red substance resembling blood.

The officers soon began hearing what sounded like sustained gunshots.

The constable said he took cover and instructed his colleagues to do the same. He testified that he did not return fire and, to his knowledge, no other member of his team did either.

He explained that the officers could not see who was firing and, given the presence of a crowd, they could not safely return fire.

Additional police units later arrived and were positioned near a small walk-through gate. The officers were instructed to maintain cover while further assistance was sent.

The constable said he eventually heard shouting that there had been a breach of the property and saw police personnel and soldiers.

After entering the church compound through the driveway gate, he said he observed a partially covered body lying in the driveway.

The body was covered with a white sheet from approximately the knees upwards to the head. The witness said the red substance was still visible around the body and that water flowing around it had turned red.

The evidence forms part of the prosecution’s case against Ruddock, who is charged in connection with Gardner’s death.

The trial continues today, with another witness expected to take the stand

Pathways Ministries Trial: Defence Blames Late Pastor For Church Killing

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