Ruddock (Appellant) v The Queen (Respondent) (Jamaica)

Case summary

Case ID

JCPC/2015/0020

Jurisdiction

Jamaica

Parties

Appellant(s)

Shirley Ruddock

Respondent(s)

The Crown

Issue

Whether the appellant’s conviction for joint enterprise murder is unsafe.

Facts

A taxi driver was murdered and his car was stolen. The police found the car; a man named Oneil Hudson was in the driver’s seat and the appellant was sitting in the back. Mr Hudson later confessed to the murder. The prosecution alleged that the appellant joined with Mr Hudson in a common design to steal the car, and that during the course of the joint enterprise he tied up the victim before Mr Hudson cut his throat. The appellant’s defence was that he got into Mr Hudson’s car after working with him as a trader that day. He did not know how Mr Hudson came by the car or that the owner had been murdered. At trial, the prosecution relied on evidence from two police officers that the appellant had made statements admitting his involvement. The appellant denied making these statements and alleged that he was subjected to police brutality while in custody. He was convicted of joint enterprise murder. He contends that his conviction was unsafe because inadmissible evidence was put before the jury and there were defects in the judge’s directions on the law.

Date of issue

9 January 2015

Linked cases

Judgment details

Judgment date

18 February 2016

Neutral citation

[2016] UKPC 7

Judgment links

Judgment summary

18 February 2016

Appeal

Justices

Lord Neuberger

Lady Hale

Lord Hughes

Lord Toulson

Lord Thomas

Hearing dates

Full hearing

Start date

27 October 2015

End date

28 October 2015

Half hearing

Start date

29 October 2015

End date

29 October 2015

Watch hearings

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