COURTS · JAMAICA
Key Facts
- —The country Jamaica, an English-speaking Caribbean island nation. Murder cases are tried in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston, the capital.
- —What happened On Friday 2 October 2026, Chief Justice Bryan Sykes sentenced painter David Smith, 35, to life for the 2023 murders of Sarayah Paulwell and Toshyna Patterson. Parole eligibility comes after 45 years (Gleaner, Observer).
- —Who is involved Smith pleaded guilty under a plea deal. Alleged mastermind Leoda Bradshaw, Roland Balfour and Bjorn Black remain in custody, with trial set for 22 February 2027 (Gleaner, 3 October 2026).
- —What it means for you One part of a case that shocked Jamaica is closed. The chief justice openly questioned whether a life term with a route to parole is enough for deliberate killings.
- —Still open Whether Smith will give evidence at the February 2027 trial. No statement from Phillip Paulwell on the sentence was reported.
In the Paulwell daughter murder case, Jamaica’s Chief Justice Bryan Sykes sentenced David Smith to life in prison on Friday, 2 October. The 35-year-old Kingston painter must serve 45 years before he can seek parole, the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer reported.
Smith pleaded guilty to the abduction and killing of Toshyna Patterson and her 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah Paulwell, in September 2023. Sarayah was the daughter of Phillip Paulwell, a veteran member of parliament.
What the court decided
The sentence was handed down in the Home Circuit Court under a plea agreement with the prosecution. Smith received life for the infant’s murder and 25 years for her mother’s murder, the Gleaner reported.
He was also given three years for kidnapping the baby and two years for kidnapping her mother. Under the deal, the capital murder charges, which carry the death penalty, were reduced to murder.
Smith had pleaded guilty to two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap. The Observer described him as the triggerman in the killings.
His lawyers had expected a term of 30 to 35 years, according to the Gleaner. Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson, the head of the state prosecution service, appeared for the Crown.
Chief justice calls the deal too generous
Sykes said the agreement between the Crown and Smith was “far more generous” than what he would have imposed. He noted that Smith had been eligible for the death penalty.
“Even with recent amendments to 50 years for capital murder, life should really be life,” Sykes said, as quoted by the Gleaner. He added that someone who deliberately takes a life should not have the chance to walk free.
“It really takes a special kind of evil to kill a baby deliberately,” the judge said. He noted that Smith had “no reason, no connection, no nothing” with the two victims.
Smith told a probation officer that he regretted his actions and wished he could change his decision. Sykes replied that Smith had several opportunities to withdraw from the conspiracy.
Under the law on multiple murder counts, Smith received a sentencing discount only on the first count, the judge explained. Patterson’s mother and sisters wept in court and declined to comment afterwards.
How the Paulwell daughter murder case unfolded
Patterson and her daughter were reported missing on 9 September 2023, the Observer reported. Prosecutors say both were taken to the Wareika Hills in St Andrew, shot, and their bodies burned.
Two other men, Richard Brown and Roshane Miller, earlier pleaded guilty to related offences and have been sentenced. Smith is the third person sentenced in the case.
On 19 September, The Rio Times reported that the trial of the remaining accused had been moved to 2027. Friday’s sentence is the first major ruling since that delay.
Three accused still face trial
The alleged mastermind, Leoda Bradshaw, is a former United States Navy petty officer. The Gleaner reported she was involved with Phillip Paulwell at the time of the killings and is the mother of one of his children.
Bradshaw faces two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap. She is charged jointly with her cousin, Roland Balfour, and with Bjorn Black.
Balfour faces two counts each of accessory before the fact to murder and kidnapping. Black faces murder, kidnapping and conspiracy counts, along with firearms-related offences.
All three remain in custody, with trial set for 22 February 2027. None of them has been convicted, and each is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
What Is Not Yet Known
Neither outlet reported whether Smith’s plea deal requires him to give evidence at the February trial. It is also not stated whether his sentences on the separate counts run at the same time.
No statement from Phillip Paulwell on the sentence was reported. It is not yet known whether the defence or the prosecution will appeal.
Sources: Jamaica Gleaner, “‘Special kind of evil’”, 3 October 2026; Jamaica Observer, “Triggerman gets life sentence for murder of Paulwell’s daughter and her mother”, 2 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error