Donna-Lee Donaldson's mother called as first witness as Noel Maitland's murder trial begins

The murder trial for Constable Noel Maitland, who is implicated in the 2022 killing of his girlfriend Donna-Lee Donaldson, has started with testimony from Donaldson's mother who said she last saw her daughter getting into the policeman's car at her gate on the night of July 11.

The mother, Sophia Lugg, told the court she last spoke to her daughter the following morning when Donaldson asked her to feed her dog, China.

Maitland is on trial before Justice Leighton Pusey and a seven-member jury in the Home Circuit Court on charges of murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

The 24-year-old social media influencer, swimwear business owner and customer service representative went missing on July 13, 2022, after she was last seen at Maitland's home two days earlier.

An emotional Lugg said that the last day she saw Donaldson, her daughter had stayed home and rested all day as she had celebrated her birthday on July 10 and had taken part in the carnival road march.

Earlier before Lugg took the stand, prosecutor Loriann Tugwell in her opening address told the jury that the Crown will adduce evidence that between July 12 and 13 Donaldson was killed by Maitland and her body disposed of in a manner that is not lawful.

The prosecutor said the case is about circumstantial evidence.

"It means when you look at all the evidence it will point in one direction to the exclusion of all others," she said.

Tugwell said Donaldson left behind patterns of behaviour and DNA that will prove that she was killed.

Tugwell is representing the Crown along with Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson.

Thirty-two witnesses are expected to be called in the trial which is slated to last eight to 10 weeks.

Attorneys-at-law Christopher Townsend, Chadwick Berry, Sanjay Smith and Kaysian Kennedy Sherman and King's Counsel Larry Smith are representing Maitland.

- Tanesha Mundle

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