Jury returns guilty verdict in Noel Maitland murder trial

 

By Racquel Porter 

 

 

Police Constable Noel Maitland has been found guilty of the 2022 murder of his girlfriend, Donna-Lee Donaldson. 

 

He was also found guilty of preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. 

 

The verdict was handed down Thursday afternoon before the Home Circuit Court by a seven-member jury. 

 

The jury, which consisted of four men and three women, retired at 11:28 a.m. and took approximately three hours and 36 minutes to arrive at the unanimous verdict. 

 

Constable Maitland is to be sentenced on March 13. 

 

The moment the verdict was handed down, Maitland - who kept a straight face throughout the trial - wept. 

 

Ms. Donaldson's mother, Sophia Lugg, and her sister broke down in tears. 

 

Maitland's father, who was also in court, sighed, saying, 'Oh God'.

 

Ms. Donaldson, a 24-year-old social media personality and customer service representative, was reported missing on July 13, 2022. 

 

Her body was never found. 

 

Thirty-six witnesses were called during the eight-month long trial. 

 

Donna-Lee's mother described the verdict as a victory. 

 

"I may never know what happened to my daughter, Donna-Lee Donaldson. I may never get a bone, but justice will serve! Justice will serve! And I will fight to the end, and this is not the end because there is a higher God authority who is going to deal with this in His own way. And I want to say thank you all, to each and every one of you. Victory! We proclaim victory today. Thank you all. God is good," said a tearful Ms. Lugg.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Maitland's legal team indicated its intention to appeal the verdict.

 

"We're a bit surprised by the verdict, but it is the verdict and it is what it is. Of course, there's always a Court of Appeal. So on to the next level," declared Christopher Townsend, who admitted that he had "a strong feeling that whichever way the verdict went, there would have been an appeal". 

 

The attorney said he is dissatisfied with how aspects of the case were handled. 

 

"I don't want to say anything too much yet, but certainly we are concerned about how some of the issues were dealt with," he noted.