WANTED GANG LEADER ‘BLOODSTAIN’ APPREHENDED IN ST. CATHERINE, TWO OTHERS IN CUSTODY
The Jamaica Constabulary Force has apprehended one of the nation’s most wanted men, 43-year-old Courtney Ashley, otherwise called ‘Bloodstain’, the reputed leader of the Bottom Marverly Gang during a targeted operation in Phoenix Park Village, Portmore, St. Catherine on Monday, January 12. Two other individuals were also arrested during the incident.
About 7:10 p.m., members of the St. Catherine South Special Operations team carried out an intelligence-driven operation in Phoenix Park Village. On arrival of the police, two men and a woman were seen. The men attempted to elude the officers but were quickly intercepted and detained, along with the woman.
All three were subsequently taken into custody during the operation. Following a search of the premises, investigators seized several items including several cellular phones, laptops, a card reader, US$900 and JM$20,000.
Courtney Ashley was wanted for the 2017 murder of Andrew Foster and a shooting on Fenbrook Avenue in St. Andrew. He was featured prominently in the JCF’s ‘Wanted Wednesdays’ campaign and was listed as a person of interest for several years in relation to other cases. Ashley was also one of the JCF’s High-Risk targets, which intelligence indicate he is involved in multiple gun-related incidents. He was the sixth man who managed to escape on July 21, 2025, after a police team thwarted a murder plot on Jacks Hill Road. That confrontation resulted in the seizure of five firearms, including an M16 rifle and a shotgun.
The JCF notes that while Courtney Ashley evaded capture during the confrontation on Jacks Hill Road, his apprehension last night was handled without the loss of life.
Head of the Crime and Security Portfolio, Deputy Commissioner of Police Richard Stewart stated that this outcome shows the JCF’s commitment to the rule of law and the preservation of life when suspects choose to submit to lawful arrest.
“The capture of this highly violent man underscores the validity of our appeal to suspects to surrender into custody and not to raise their guns at the police when confronted. The JCF continues to urge those with outstanding warrants to turn themselves in to the nearest police station,” said DCP Stewart.
The identities of the other man and woman, who were detained during the operation, are being withheld pending further investigations.
