Leoda Bradshaw and co-accused to return to court June 5 in murder of Paulwell's daughter and her mother

Leoda Bradshaw and her three alleged accomplices implicated in the murder of politician Phillip Paulwell's 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah, and her mother Toshyna Patterson, are scheduled to return to court on June 5 when a trial date is to be set.

The four appeared in the Home Circuit Court this morning via Zoom and were remanded by Justice Lorna Shelly Williams.

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.

When the matter was mentioned the prosecution indicated that it has received the Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Division and that its case is now ready.

Consequently, a date was scheduled for plea and case management hearing where a trial date is to be agreed by both the prosecution and defence.

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.

- Tanesha Mundle

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