By Precious D. Freeman
Defendant Lucas Richards, the American Missionary on trial for attempting to murder his Liberian wife, Jessica Lloyd, testified on Monday, March 25, 2024, that he has nothing to do with the incident that led to her injury.
Testifying at Criminal Court B, Defendant Richards explained that on September 14, 2023, in the Dixville Community, while he and his fiancée were riding in his car, he noticed that the tyre of the vehicle was experiencing some mechanical problem.
Based on that, he decided to park his vehicle to repair the issue with his car tyre.
According to him, when he and Jessica disembarked from the vehicle, she went to the back of the car, waiting for him while he was lying under repairing the vehicle.
While Jessica was standing at the back of the car, defendant Richards claimed that he heard a heavy and loud sound of a motorcyclist attempting to hold the brake of his motorbike.
Afterwards, defendant Richards claimed that he immediately left from under the car and saw his fiancée in the ditch with the bike lying on her, adding that while the motorcyclist was trying to take the bike off his fiancée, he (the motorcyclist) began to shout. “The motorbike guy took the bike off her and he started shouting for people to believe that I was the one who had attempted to kill my wife,” Richards narrated.
According to Richards, while shouting, he (Lucas) saw an angry crowd rushing towards him and Jessica, so he fled the scene, leaving Jessica in the midst of the angry crowd and immediately reported himself to the police station.
Meanwhile, defendant Richards has denied that he destroyed the pregnancy of Jessica Lloyd.
According to him, because of his medical condition (erectile dysfunction), he cannot produce a child, and claimed to have explained his medical situation to Jessica, which she was aware of.
He further testified that Jessica had earlier proposed to him that she wanted to be a surrogate mother for any future child he will bear, because his wife is barren.
Based on Jessica’s proposal to him, he informed her that he was going to have his wife informed.
While waiting for his American wife to respond, Jessica’s family requested that he should dowry their daughter, and while in the process, the incident occurred.
He alleged that at no time has he ever used any object or substance to terminate her pregnancy.
Meanwhile, defendant Lucas Richards’ testimony continues today.
