By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterTHE CROWN closed its case yesterday in the Home Circuit Court after calling 22 witnesses for the prosecution at the trial of 37-year-old Paul Gooden, former distribution consultant at Yummy Bakery in Kingston. He is charged with the murder of his wife 36-year-old Ingrid Andrade-Gooden.
Gooden began giving his defence in which he said he did not strangle his wife as the Crown is alleging. The medical evidence was that the body had both human and animal bites but Gooden also denied biting his wife.
The allegations are that Gooden strangled his wife between November 6 and 7 last year at their home at Apartment 37, Hartford Towers Apartment, 7 Sullivan Avenue, St. Andrew. The body was dumped in mangroves off the Norman Manley Highway, Kingston. It was discovered on November 8 last year and Gooden was taken into custody the following day.
Gooden said he started working at the bakery on October 31 last year and was earning $300,000 monthly. He said during that time he applied to Pepsi Cola and was given a job to work with the company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He said his plans and hopes were to take his wife and children to Fort Lauderdale when he took up the job. He said the deceased knew of the plans and was very happy.
SCRAPE MARKS
He said he was married to the deceased for 11 years and his feelings for her 'was total love' and up to the time of her death those feelings never changed. He said on the night of August 6 last year he saw his wife with 'groove marks or scrape marks' below her right shoulder and he asked her about them. She said she went to Port Royal with a friend named Damion and got the scratches from bushes at Port Royal. The marks were red and bleeding. He said he was not angry with his wife neither did he harm her.
The accused said he left the apartment after 10 p.m. that night to go to the gas station and he returned about 11 p.m. and did not leave the compound for the rest of the night. He said when he returned from the gas station his wife was in her night gown and she was using the computer. Later that night, he said he and his wife had further conversation about the scratches and she said, "Paul I am okay." He said to her "Later if you want to talk I will be there for you sweetheart."
Gooden said during October last year he was at this wife's parents home and she was using the computer. He said he was coming out of the bathroom when he glanced at the computer and saw a message on the computer screen. Gooden said he saw a name Victor Hugo and the message was that Hugo had booked an Air Jamaica flight to come to Jamaica "to have sex with my wife".
SAW MESSAGE ON COMPUTER
He said he told her parents about it and remarked, "Some sort of pervert is coming to visit Ingrid." He said the deceased scratched him in his face and was very irate. She told him that the marriage was over. "When I saw the message on the computer screen my feelings were I was very afraid for Ingrid. For 12 years she is my best friend. I did not know who that person was who was coming to hurt her that is why I shouted out to Mr. and Mrs. Andrade that there is a pervert. You need to read this message now," Gooden said.
Gooden will be cross-examined when he completes his defence today.
