The sentencing of David Smith, the man who recently pleaded guilty in the kidnapping and murder of 10-month-old Sarayah Paulwell and her mother, 27-year-old Toshyna Patterson, has been postponed until October 2.

The sentencing was scheduled for Friday in the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston.

David Smith pleaded guilty to murder on June 10.

According to Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, the court had only recently received a significant Court of Appeal judgement that could affect how Smith is sentenced.

The chief justice says the ruling departs from previous sentencing authority and requires careful consideration before a sentence can be imposed.

Justice Sykes notes that sentencing is not a process where a judge can simply decide on a punishment.

He adds that “there’s a methodology that has to be employed”, saying the court must focus more on the change in the law.

Describing it as a “significant change”, the chief justice says additional time is needed to give all parties an opportunity to study the Court of Appeal’s decision before sentencing proceeds.

Smith, a 35-year-old painter and father of two from Mountain View in Kingston, pleaded guilty on June 10 to two counts of murder and two counts of kidnapping.

Prosecutors say he was the triggerman.

They argued that he was handed the weapon by co-accused Bjorn Black, who instructed him to shoot both victims.

Smith is represented by attorneys Franklin Grenyion and Shamar Hanson.

Patterson and her infant daughter were kidnapped and murdered on September 9, 2023.

Two other men charged in connection with the killings, Richard Brown and Roshane Miller, have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced.

Meanwhile, the alleged mastermind behind the murders, Leoda Bradshaw, along with her co-accused Bjorn Black and Roland Balfour, is scheduled to return to court on September 17 for a trial readiness hearing.

The crown has indicated it is ready to proceed to trial, which is set to begin on September 28.

All three accused remain in custody.