Sat | May 16, 2026

Leoda Bradshaw, co-accused to return to court October 8

Published:Thursday | June 5, 2025 | 2:02 PM
Leoda Bradshaw
Leoda Bradshaw

Leoda Bradshaw and three others implicated in the murder of politician Phillip Paulwell's 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah, and her mother Toshyna Patterson were on Thursday further remanded until October 8, 2025.

The accused appeared remotely in Home Circuit Court of the Supreme Court for a plea and case management hearing.

Bradshaw, a US navy officer, who shares a child with Paulwell, is charged along with her cousin Roland Balfour, alleged triggerman David Smith and Bjorn Black.

Justice Vinette Graham-Allen is presiding over the matter.

The prosecution told the court that they were not yet in a position to fix a trial date as some materials are not yet uploaded for the defence to review.

The court was further told that today’s adjournment was to facilitate the uploading of the settled witness list.

This is to be done on or before June 9, 2025.

The indictment with charges on which the prosecution intends to proceed at trial is to be settled by June 9 and uploaded as well.

Bradshaw is charged with two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to kidnapping.

Balfour is facing two counts each of accessory before the fact to kidnapping and accessory before the fact to murder.

Black is charge with two counts each of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to murder, and conspiracy to kidnapping. He is also facing additional firearms charges, such as possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition and dealing in prohibited weapon.

Meanwhile, Smith is charged with two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnapping.

Two other men, Richard Brown and Roshane Miller, previously pleaded guilty to crimes related to the incident and were both sentenced.

The 10-month-old child and her 27-year-old mother were reportedly abducted from their home on Gilmour Drive in St Andrew on September 9, 2023.

They were allegedly taken to east Kingston, shot and killed, and their bodies burned.

Bradshaw, the alleged mastermind, is accused of contacting hitmen, contracting her cousin Balfour, and orchestrating a plan to kidnap and murder the mother and child.

She reportedly travelled to Jamaica with the sole purpose of murdering Paulwell's infant daughter and her mother.

This occurred one day after she had confronted Patterson about the infant on Facebook.

Bradshaw is being represented by attorneys Deborah Martin and Kelly Hamilton.

Attorneys Tamika Harris and Sasha-Kay Shaw are defending Bjorn Black, while attorneys Franklyn Grenyion and Shamar Hanson are representing Smith.

Attorneys Michael Howell and Vanessa Taylor are appearing for Balfour.

- Andre Williams

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