DONNA-LEE DONALDSON MURDER TRIAL
Maitland’s call patterns scrutinised in court as digital evidence unfolds
Published:Thursday | November 20, 2025 | 12:10 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
A senior crimefighter with background in technology on Wednesday mapped out a series of communications allegedly made by murder accused Noel Maitland on the day social media personality Donna-Lee Donaldson went missing, and the immediate days following.
The deputy superintendent of police assigned to the Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) spent most of his testimony responding to questions from the prosecution, forming the centrepiece of his testimony in the eight-month-old murder trial now before a seven-member jury.
Yesterday, the witness first illustrated to the court that the device(s) in question and telephone numbers were attributed to the individuals using a software to check the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).
The senior cop then testified that telecommunications data showed multiple instances in which a number attributed to Maitland contacted a number attributed to Donaldson, detailing timestamps and call patterns that prosecutors say are critical to establishing a timeline before and after the 24-year-old disappeared on July 12, 2022.
The jury pool, comprising four men and three women, listened and, in some cases, were seen making notes as the prosecution continued building its digital-forensics case.
The court was told that on July 12, 2022 at 7:11 p.m., one call was made from the number attributed to Maitland to the number attributed to Donaldson.
The senior officer, who appeared comfortable on the stand, said 22 other communications were attributed to the mobile number of Maitland on the same day.
The last communication from Donaldson’s number was on July 12, 2022 at 2:54 p.m.
The prosecution quizzed further about communication from the accused to Donaldson on July 13, 2022.
The court heard that the number attributed to the accused contacted Donaldson’s phone, twice on July 13 within the same minute at 11:36 a.m.
CALL DETAILS REVEALED
No calls were transmitted between the numbers attributed to Maitland and Donaldson on July 13; however, the prosecution wanted to know how busy the accused man was communicating to others.
The court heard that generally speaking, a total of 63 communications came from the number associated to the accused.
On July 14, the number attributed to Maitland made 21 communications, and again, on July 15, some 52 calls were communicated, according to the senior cop.
The court heard that some of the calls were made between Maitland and Donaldson’s mother, his babymother, and a truck driver.
A PowerPoint presentation of cell sites that log the communication on the devices tendered into evidence was also showcased on Tuesday in court using Google Earth.
The witness outlined that Maitland’s phone was on the Flow network, while Donaldson was a subscriber of Digicel.
Maitland, dapperly dressed in a tailored grey suit, sat quietly through most of the testimony, but at intervals, he leaned in towards his attorney, engaging in hushed discussions as the expert outlined how investigators retrieved and verified the call data.
The attorney frequently approached the accused during key portions of the testimony, especially when the prosecution emphasised the frequency of the calls and their proximity to the period of Donaldson’s disappearance.
Donaldson was reported missing in July 2022, igniting a nationwide outcry and intense scrutiny of the police investigation.
Maitland, her boyfriend at the time and a member of the JCF, was later arrested and charged with her murder and unlawful burial of a corpse.
He has maintained his innocence.
The trial, under way in the Home Circuit Court division of the Supreme Court, has seen a steady stream of forensic analysts and law-enforcement witnesses, as both sides challenge the reliability and interpretation of the digital evidence.
The defence started to cross-examine the tech expert even as the prosecution moves closer to closing its case, while indicating that four more witnesses are expected to take the stand before their evidence is completed.
The trial will continue today.