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'The Goodens were lovey dovey' - witness

By BARBARA GAYLE
Staff Reporter

LAUGHTER ERUPTED YESTERDAY, particularly from the jurors, when Kent Pantry, Q.C., Director of Public Prosecutions asked a Crown witness to explain what she meant when she said that before October last year, murder accused Paul Gooden and his wife were 'lovey dovey' because he (Pantry) was not experienced in those sort of things.

The witness, Marcia Douglas, a teacher, also called Dahlia, said she meant that the accused Gooden would be hugging his wife or sitting in her lap.

Gooden, 37, former consultant at Yummy Bakery, Kingston is on trial in the Home Circuit Court since last week Monday for the murder of his wife, 36-year-old Ingrid Andrade-Gooden who was an administrator at the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC).

It is being alleged that Gooden strangled her at their home at Hartford Towers Apartment, 7 Sullivan Avenue, St. Andrew between November 6 and 7 last year. The body was found in bushes off the Norman Manley Boulevard, Kingston on November 8 last year.

One of Gooden's co-workers, Patrick Clunie testified that he went to the Yacht Club off the Norman Manley Boulevard after mid-day on November 8 to sell goods and while driving along the way after passing a small bridge, Gooden asked him to drive slowly and began looking into some bushes at a certain spot along the road, saying he saw ganja plants growing in the bushes. Clunie said he looked several times but did not see any ganja plants.

'Love dovey'

Douglas testified before the jury and Mrs. Justice Marva McIntosh that she knew the couple very well and they used to visit her home and would come there to pick up their two children. She said before October last year the couple were talking normal but she said she noticed that in October last year they were not 'lovey dovey'. She described Gooden as someone who was very 'lovey dovey'. When they came to her house in October, the accused would sit by himself. When they were ready to leave, Ingrid would leave with the children and the accused would travel by himself.

She said on November 7 and 8 last year she tried to contact Ingrid on her cellular phone but did not get through to her. She said the accused dropped off the children at her apartment about 10 a.m. on Saturday November 8 last year so she could take his daughter to the hairdresser. After they left the hairdresser, she called Gooden who told her that he was at the supermarket shopping for himself and the children.

The witness said further that she went to the apartment on November 9 along with the accused Gooden and the police. She said she asked accused for the children's passport and at first he handed over the Jamaican passports. She told the police that they had British passports and it was at that time that he handed over those passports. When the accused came to her apartment on the Saturday he was dressed in long sleeved shirts and shorts and was dressed in a similar fashion on the Sunday.

She said while they were at the accused's home on the Sunday November 9 last year, the police asked him if he had ever had a fight or had problems with his wife, He replied "I never have a problem with my wife." She said Gooden began to sob saying "Dahlia, Dahlia, I am alone. Give me a hug". She said she refused to hug him because she was scared of him at that point because within herself she believed he did something to Ingrid.

Cross-examined by Lord Anthony Gifford, Q.C., the witness said that it was based on a conversation that she had with Ingrid the week before and based on what Ingrid said that she went to get the passports. She said she saw Gooden with a computer generated photograph the Sunday. The photograph had Ingrid's face on someone else's body and the other person in the picture was a man.

The trial continues today.