‘Slickianna’ murder case stalled to allow accused to receive medical attention
Published:Monday | February 3, 2025 | 5:07 PMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The St James Circuit Court yesterday halted the case against Rushawn Patterson, the man accused of the October 2022 murder of social media influencer Aneka ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, until October 15 to allow him time to recover from ill health.
High Court Justice Judith Pusey set the new court date and extended Patterson’s bail following a brief conversation with his lawyer, Dionne Meyler, when they case came up for mention.
“I notice that your client does not seem to be very well… . I am going to set the matter for case management on October 15, to give him a chance to recover,” Pusey told Meyler.
Patterson was granted bail on humanitarian grounds during a previous court appearance on July 16, 2024, after the court was told that, on his doctor’s recommendation, he needed to be admitted to hospital to be treated for haemophilia, a blood disorder. The application was granted despite strong opposition from the prosecution.
Outstanding documents
In the meantime, the court was told yesterday that several documents are still outstanding from the prosecution’s case file, including an extraction report from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Unit, statements from a justice of the peace, and a chain-of-custody statement. It was also disclosed that the investigating officer is currently on a training course.
Meyler also asked for Patterson’s white Toyota Fit motorcar, which is currently in the custody of the police, to be released to her client. However, Pusey instructed her to make that application in writing.
After Townsend’s body was found floating in the sea, just off the coastline of Reading in St James on October 20, investigations by the police established that she had ties with Patterson. However, initial attempts to locate him proved unsuccessful.
Patterson was finally found and arrested during a high-level police operation at a guesthouse in Hanover on November 2, 2022. After a postmortem on November 5, which determined that Townsend was strangled, Patterson was charged with murder on November 11.
According to police reports, Townsend had travelled from Kingston to Montego Bay in St James on October 20, 2022, and was later picked up by Patterson, following which they visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guesthouse in St James. During that night, an argument reportedly developed between the two, during which Townsend was killed and her body disposed of.
Before being granted bail on July 16, 2024, Patterson was denied bail on several occasions, including March 21 and October 4, 2023, and June 13, 2024, despite Meyler’s arguments that his health and safety were at risk while in custody. Among the reasons given for the rejection of his bail application was the prosecution’s concern that he was a flight risk and could potentially reoffend if granted bail.