Possible trial period reserved in 2026 for murder case against Leoda Bradshaw and co-accused

The Supreme Court this morning reserved September 26 to November 23 of next year for the possible trial period for the case against Leoda Bradshaw and three others in connection to the murder of politician Phillip Paulwell's 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah, and her mother Toshyna Patterson.

The dates were scheduled after the court was informed that the indictment had been formalised and electronically disclosed.

The accused were subsequently remanded for the continuation of a plea and case management hearing in January 2026 of next year

Bradshaw, a US Navy officer, who shares a child with Paulwell, 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 charged 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.

- Tanesha Mundle

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