TRIAL TWIST

Hours after social media influencer Donna-Lee Donaldson vanished, Constable Noel Maitland reportedly broke down in tears, rambling about his job and taxi drivers in what a close friend described as a shocking and erratic moment.

The testimony came from one of Donaldson’s close friends, an aesthetician, during the ongoing murder trial of Maitland in the Home Circuit Court. Maitland is charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse in connection with Donaldson’s disappearance and presumed death.

The witness, who had been in frequent contact with 24-year-old Donaldson up until July 12, 2022, said she grew concerned after not hearing from her and being contacted by her brother via Instagram.

She told the court that she called Maitland to ask if he had seen or heard from Donaldson. Initially, he reportedly claimed that Donaldson had left his apartment when he was asleep to collect money from her father and that he wasn’t sure if she took a taxi or was picked up. This account contradicts what the court heard he told Donaldson’s mother – that they had a minor dispute and that he was too upset to see who she left with. The trial previously heard that Donaldson’s father had sent her money from the Bahamas.

The witness said when she later told him that none of their four mutual friends had seen or heard from Donaldson – and that she may have been the last person to speak with her – Maitland lost his composure, the witness said.

“He started crying very loudly, and when he started crying, I was kind of taken aback,” said the witness, who was very composed and well-spoken.

“He was saying he is a policeman and he knows how these things go and he knows how these taxi men are,” she recollected.

The witness said she told him, “Let’s be positive. It’s still early.”

The swimwear entrepreneur and customer service representative was reported missing on July 13, two days after she was last seen at Maitland’s St Andrew apartment after he picked her up from her home.

Her mother, Sophia Lugg, testified that she last spoke to her daughter the following morning but again could not reach her.

During her evidence-in-chief, led by prosecutor Loriann Tugwell, the friend explained that she had planned to meet Donaldson that day to collect money for a restaurant payment. Donaldson had asked her to delay, saying that she first needed to receive funds from her father, who was abroad. When she did not hear back from Donaldson, she sent a WhatsApp message, but it showed only one tick, indicating that it had not been delivered. That was when she contacted Maitland again.

She testified that Maitland appeared “flustered”, asked what she planned to do, and when she asked him what he thought they should do, he went silent. She eventually told him that she was going to ask Donaldson’s mother to report her missing.

Asked by the prosecutor what she meant by flustered, she said, “He was crying really hard.”

The witness testified earlier that she met Donaldson in 2019 and that they would speak daily through regular calls, WhatsApp, and FaceTime.

She also told the court that she had celebrated both Donaldson and Maitland’s birthdays with them on different occasions.

She also testified about an earlier uncomfortable encounter with Maitland in 2019 when he made inappropriate remarks during their first meeting. According to her, Maitland asked if she and Donaldson had ever been sexually involved while the two women were engaging in playful banter. She said the question caught her off guard.

Earlier in the proceedings, Maitland’s attorney, Christopher Townsend, sought to establish that a taxi driver or a stalker may have been involved in Donaldson’s disappearance.

Townsend questioned Lugg extensively about her daughter’s use of taxis, suggesting that she used multiple services. Lugg, however, insisted that Donaldson used only three taxi companies and would rotate among them if her usual driver was not available. She admitted that she did not tell the police about her daughter’s preferred driver.

Townsend also probed into Donaldson’s online presence, referencing photos and videos in which she modelled swimwear and lingerie as part of promoting her business. Lugg confirmed that she was aware of the social media photos, pointing out that her daughter also had videos. However, she said that her daughter never mentioned being stalked or receiving inappropriate online advances.

The lawyer also questioned Lugg about Donaldson’s passport, which she said her daughter took when leaving with Maitland. While initially vague – saying that she had it “for reasons” – Lugg clarified during re-examination that the passport was her daughter’s only form of identification for collecting money from overseas.

In a poignant moment, Lugg said she still calls her daughter’s phone, holding out hope for a miracle.

The trial, which continues before Justice Leighton Pusey, is set to resume Monday with the cross-examination of Donaldson’s friend.

King’s Counsel Larry Smith, Kaysian Kennedy-Sherman, Chadwick Berry, and Sanjay Smith are also representing Maitland.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com