Lawyer concerned about public discourse in murder case

Attorneys Deborah Martin (right) and Kelly Hamilton, who both represent Leoda Bradshaw, leave the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston on Friday after Bradshaw was slapped with capital murder and other charges in relation to the case of Phillip Paulwell’s missing eight-month-old daughter and her mother. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Lead counsel Deborah Martin is uneasy with the public commentary that surrounds the matter which involves the death of the baby daughter of politician Phillip Paulwell, and her mother.

Martin is representing Leoda Bradshaw, the US Navy petty officer who is to be tried for capital murder of the 10-month old child and the adult.

Bradshaw and three men were on Friday charged with murder and other offences in relation to the abduction and killing of 27-year-old businesswoman Toshyna Patterson and her daughter, Sarayah Paulwell.

Deputy commissioner of police in charge of crime, Fitz Bailey, on Friday during a press briefing shortly before the court sitting, said that the two were “brutally murdered and their bodies disposed of”, describing it as “one of the most painful investigations for the team in recent times”.

Bradshaw, who shares a child with Paulwell, is to be tried for two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of conspiracy to kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of capital murder. Her cousin Roland Balfour, a 30-year-old assistant graphic designer of Kingston, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of conspiracy to kidnapping, and misprison of felon. The two were on Friday brought before Supreme Court Justice Simone Wolfe-Reese on a voluntary bill of indictment proferred by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Also charged are Roshane Miller, a 29-year-old air conditioning technician, who has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts conspiracy to kidnapping, and misprison of felon; and Richard Brown, otherwise called Richie, of Kingston. He has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of conspiracy to kidnapping, and two counts of kidnapping. The two appeared before the Home Circuit Court earlier last week, the Jamaica Observer understands.

Addressing Justice Wolfe-Reece on Friday, Martin said the defence had not been able to peruse the material presented by the Crown due to the fact that disclosure had been made just after midday. “That which we know of the allegations are what has been outlined by the Crown,” Martin said.

“We do urge that this be the forum for the dissemination of information in the matter — there is a lot of disinformation out there. And while we are here in court waiting for you to arrive we are aware that DCP Fitz Bailey has done his own press conference, which has been broadcast through social media. We would urge that persons who can, do what they can to urge persons who ought to know that this is the forum,” Martin stated.

Justice Wolfe-Reece, in responding to the attorney’s concerns, said: “Now that the matter is before the courts, certainly it is the court’s expectation that anything to do with this matter is dealt with in court.”

A senior prosecutor marshalling the evidence, in replying to the judge, said, “The prosecution has no jurisdiction of authority in respect of what the JCF does but I have heard what my learned friend has said.”

Bradshaw and Balfour, who were on Friday ordered fingerprinted, have been remanded and will return for another hearing scheduled for December 1.

The two men, who last week appeared before the Home Circuit Court, are to be brought back later this month for another hearing.

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