On Friday, December 1, 2023, the murder case of little Sarayah Paulwell and her mother, Toshyna Patterson, was brought before the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston. Defense attorney Deborah Martin, representing Leoda Bradshaw, the woman accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and killing of lawmaker Phillip Paulwell’s 10-month-old baby and her mother, requested the contents of the recently secured plea deal obtained by her co-accused, Roshane Miller and Richard Brown.
Miller pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of accessory before the fact of murder, and two counts of misprision of a felony, resulting in a sentence of seven years and ten months. Brown, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and received a sentence of 30 years.
In her pursuit of obtaining the plea deal’s contents, Ms. Martin referred to a press release by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which indicated that the prosecution intends to rely on the convicted individuals for its case. Therefore, she sought full disclosure of the court proceedings and records, including the transcript, stating their relevance to the upcoming trial.
However, presiding judge Justice Vinnette Graham Allen instructed Ms. Martin to submit her request in writing. The judge emphasized that she could not provide a specific timeline for the provision of the transcript as it falls under the jurisdiction of the court registrar.
Ms. Martin, who had already submitted a letter dated November 27, sought an order from the judge and further requested disclosure of the plea arrangements made with the crown. Justice Graham Allen denied granting an order, explaining that the court cannot act in a vacuum and has no access to the sealed files.
The prosecution informed the court that the case file still needed completion. They awaited forensic material from the Communication Forensic & Cyber Crime Division (CFCD) of the JCF, as well as forensic certificates from the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine and statements from investigators. They assured the court of ongoing discussions with experts and anticipated having a communication analysis regarding call data records by the end of February. Regarding digital forensic materials, multiple devices were scheduled for assessment by February.
However, defense attorney Deborah Martin expressed dissatisfaction, noting that the legal team had been waiting for material since October 13. Despite previously requesting documents, including forensic material, there were no statements on the file apart from those conveying forensic material. Ms. Martin emphasized the importance of statements from the investigating officer regarding the progress made thus far.
The prosecution committed to preparing, submitting, and disclosing statements by the second week of January. Justice Graham Allen subsequently ordered that statements from the investigator be submitted and disclosed to the defense on or before January 31. Furthermore, the judge mandated the submission and disclosure of forensic material and certificates to the defense on or before February 29, 2024.
A case management hearing is scheduled to continue on March 6, 2024.