‘Slickianna’ murder case pushed back, accused killer out on bail

WESTERN BUREAU:

Rushawn Patterson, the man charged with the October 2022 murder of social media influencer Aneika ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, is booked to return to the St James Circuit Court on October 18 when two outstanding documents will be submitted for the prosecution’s case-file.

Patterson, who is represented by attorney Dionne Meyler, had his bail extended when he appeared before presiding High Court Justice Bertram Morrison on Monday.

Speaking to journalists following Patterson’s court appearance, Meyler explained that the matter was put off because the post-mortem report and a DNA report had not yet been submitted for the case-file.

“His bail was extended to October 18 as the post-mortem report is still outstanding, and they are awaiting a DNA result. He got a further mention date for the file to be completed, and after the file is complete, then we can set a trial date,” said Meyler. “The prosecutor said she would get the post-mortem (report) today [Monday], and by October 18, they should be ready.”

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In a development, which had previously gone unnoticed, Meyler said Patterson was granted bail on humanitarian grounds during a previous court hearing as he is said to suffer from haemophilia, a blood disease that affects how the blood clots and causes wounds to take longer than normal to heal.

“We relied on a medical report which points to him suffering there in custody and needing serious medical attention. He is a suspected haemophiliac, so he was bleeding uncontrollably and he was seen by his doctor in the lock-up,” Meyler explained. “The doctor recommended that Mr Patterson needed to be admitted to hospital and also said that his situation was life-threatening. So he was granted bail on humanitarian grounds even though the Crown opposed it.”

Patterson was previously denied bail on March 21, 2023, and again on October 4 that same year despite efforts by Meyler to secure bail for him due to concerns about his health and safety.

During the first bail hearing on March 21, 2023, High Court Justice Andrea Thomas rejected the application after the prosecution pointed to correspondence that Patterson reportedly made to Rohan Rose, indicating that Patterson had killed Townsend on October 21, 2022. Rose is charged separately with misprision of a felony for not reporting Townsend’s murder to the police.

The second bail application, on October 4, 2023, was rejected by High Court Justice Judith Pusey due to concerns that Patterson was a likely flight risk and could potentially reoffend if granted bail.

Patterson was arrested on November 2, 2022, during a high-level police operation in Hanover. Townsend’s body was found floating in the sea in Reading, St James, hours after she reportedly linked up with Patterson in Montego Bay.

A subsequent post-mortem examination on November 5 determined that Townsend was strangled sometime between 11 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, and 9 a.m. on Friday, October 21. Patterson was formally charged with her murder on November 11.

According to police reports, Townsend had travelled from Kingston to Montego Bay on October 20, 2022, and was later picked up by Patterson, following which they visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James.

According to the allegations against Patterson, sometime during the night, an argument developed between him and Townsend, and she was strangled and her body disposed of.