Monrovia – The ongoing attempted murder proceedings at Criminal Court ‘B’, involving Jessica Lloyd, a Liberian lady, and her American missionary husband Lucas Richards, took a dramatic twist yesterday with Jessica accusing Richards of engaging in sexual intercourse with her at different times and places.
By Victoria G. Wesseh
Richard, a defendant and member of Creekside Church on assignment in the country, is accused of attempting to murder Jessica.
Richards is also accused by Jessica’s mother, Cynthia, of injecting her daughter with an unknown substance, resulting in the deliberate termination of her pregnancy.
But when Richards took the witness stand, he denied consummating their marriage, claiming he has not had sexual intercourse with his wife due to suffering from prostate cancer, which has made it difficult for him to engage in sex. He further claimed that on the night of the alleged incident, Jessica attempted to initiate sexual intercourse despite their agreement not to engage in it due to his medical condition.
Richards raised this contention in response to Cynthia’s allegation that he injected her daughter with an unknown substance, resulting in the termination of her pregnancy.
However, during her testimony yesterday as the prosecution’s first rebuttal witness, Jessica countered Richards’ claims, asserting that they had indeed engaged in sexual intercourse on several occasions. She mentioned the Farmington Hotel, clarifying that it was before their marriage.
“Lucas Richards and I had sex several times at the Farmington Hotel,” she testified. “We also engaged in sexual intercourse at the Du-port Road, where he rented an apartment, and in Grand Cape County in July, where I became pregnant after our marriage,” she further noted. “Throughout that period, we did not use condoms before or after our marriage. Every time we had sex, he ejaculated inside me.”
Defendant Richards also testified, denying allegations that he used an object to harm his wife during a ride on September 14, 2023. He claimed Jessica sustained injuries to her neck and back of her head due to a motorcyclist accident.
Responding to Richards’ accusation, Jessica stated that no motorbike hit her to cause the injuries. “It was only me and Lucas Richards in the car, and he asked me to help him fix the back tire of his car,” she noted.
She explained that while helping him, he pushed her to the ground from behind, causing her to hit the ground. “Lucas Richards then pushed me back to the ground and left the scene, leaving me bleeding. It was a bystander who helped and saved me.”