Leoda Bradshaw, the woman charged in one of Jamaica’s most shocking and closely watched murder cases, appeared before the St Catherine Parish Court this week following an alleged assault while in custody.
The court was told on Tuesday that Bradshaw reported being physically attacked by another female inmate inside the Bridgeport lock-up in Portmore, where she is currently detained. The matter was raised before Judge Venise Blackstock-Murray after Bradshaw formally reported the incident.
According to the report presented to the court, the alleged assault occurred while Bradshaw was in custody awaiting trial for the 2023 killings of a woman and her 10-month-old baby. The case could not proceed on Tuesday due to the absence of legal representatives, and it was subsequently adjourned to January 23.
Bradshaw is charged in connection with the murders of Toshyna Patterson and her infant daughter, Sarayah Paulwell. The baby is the child of People’s National Party Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell. Prosecutors allege that Bradshaw played a central role in orchestrating the crimes.
Investigators say Patterson and her baby were abducted from their home on Gilmour Drive in St Andrew on September 9, 2023. They were reportedly taken to East Kingston, where they were killed. Their burnt bodies were later discovered, sparking nationwide outrage and intense public scrutiny.
Bradshaw, a former culinary specialist in the United States Navy and the mother of a child she shares with Paulwell, is facing multiple serious charges. These include two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to kidnap. Prosecutors have described her as the alleged mastermind behind the plot.
Tuesday’s court appearance focused solely on the reported assault in custody and did not address the substantive murder charges. Despite the complaint, Bradshaw remains in custody as the criminal proceedings continue.
A trial window for the murder case has been tentatively set for the period between September 26 and November 23.
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