Donna-Lee Donaldson
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Halshane Burke reports
During cross-examination in the Home Circuit Court on Thursday morning, Sophia Lugg, the mother of missing social media influencer Donna-Lee Donaldson, confirmed that her daughter had her passport with her when she left home with Noel Maitland on July 11, 2022.
Defence attorney Christopher Townsend asked Ms. Lugg if her daughter owned a passport. She confirmed that Donna-Lee did.
When asked whether the police had inquired about it, Ms. Lugg stated that the Independent Commission of Investigations had done so.
Mr. Townsend then asked whether Donna-Lee had taken the passport with her when she left with Mr. Maitland. Ms. Lugg confirmed, saying it was for "reasons".
But during re-examination by the prosecution, Ms. Lugg told the court that the passport was her daughter's only form of identification, adding that Donna-Lee was supposed to collect money from her father.
Ms. Lugg had earlier testified that her daughter's father, who lives in the Bahamas, had sent her money through a remittance agency. She also told the court that Mr. Maitland said he had overheard Donna-Lee talking to her father on her phone about the money while she was at his house.
Earlier in cross-examination, Mr. Townsend questioned the mother about Donna-Lee's use of taxi services and the number of companies she used.
He first asked the witness if she was aware of a particular taxi company that her daughter would use, but the mother indicated that her daughter did not use that company.
He asked Ms. Lugg if Donna-Lee used three, and named the companies.
The mother admitted that her daughter used a specific driver to move around, but said she did not tell the police about that.
Ms. Lugg also testified that her daughter would do deliveries two to three days per week.
Pressing further, Mr. Townsend also asked the mother whether she was aware that her daughter was promoting her business on Instagram and had pictures in which she was modelling swimwear and lingerie.
Ms. Lugg said she was aware, adding that her daughter also had videos.
Mr. Townsend asked whether Donna-Lee complained to her that people were looking at her page, stalking the page, or making uncomfortable sexual comments, to which the witness answered in the negative.
In the meantime, Ms. Lugg denied being aware of claims that her missing daughter had been trying to conceive a child with Mr. Maitland and had suffered three miscarriages.
The 24-year-old social media influencer, swimwear business owner and customer service representative went missing July 13, 2022 after she was last seen at Mr. Maitland's home two days earlier.
Mr. Maitland is charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.
The trial continues on Monday in the Home Circuit Court.
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