Noel Maitland
.png)
Lorraine Walker reports
The driver of the truck Constable Noel Maitland hired to transport his couch from his Chelsea Manor apartment to a car wash on Lyndhurst Road, said he recorded one of two conversations with the cop.
Mr. Maitland is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Donna-Lee Donaldson.
The 24-year-old influencer, swimwear entrepreneur and customer service representative, was reported missing on July 13 in 2022.
She was last seen at Maitland's apartment two days earlier.
Detailing his encounters with Mr. Maitland, the witness who owns a pickup truck, said he was outside a popular hardware store in Kingston where he solicits customers, when a colleague identified only as 'Carlos', now deceased, called him and told him about the job.
He said when he arrived, Mr. Maitland, who was a stranger to him at the time, was sitting nearby in his car.
According to the witness, Mr. Maitland told him he wanted a sofa picked up from New Kingston and delivered to Half Way Tree.
Mr. Maitland reportedly instructed him to drive behind his vehicle, and the witness said he followed in his truck along with Carlos.
The prosecution's 10th witness said when he went inside the apartment complex and parked the vehicle, Mr. Maitland and his friend removed the sofa from the second floor.
The driver said he and Carlos, who were on the ground floor, collected the couch and placed it in the back of his van.
Following Mr. Maitland's instructions, he said they exited the apartment complex and proceeded behind Mr. Maitland's car to a car wash.
He said days later Mr. Maitland called his phone. The witness said he did not answer.
He said he did not answer a second call, but answered when Mr. Maitland called a third time.
He told the court that Mr. Maitland said, "Ah me, Noel. Ah me you carry di settee for.... Me nuh tink yuh did aguh tek up back di ting from the upholstery place?"
The witness said he repeatedly asked Mr. Maitland, "Which upholstery place?" and disconnected the call.
The witness said about 7 o'clock one morning Mr. Maitland called him again asking "if me nah come tek up back di sumting".
He said that was when he asked Mr. Maitland how he was going to pick up the settee when the police had his truck.
He said later that day Mr. Maitland called asking why the police took the truck. The witness said Mr. Maitland told him that he was going to call somebody and find out why the truck was seized.
When asked by the prosecution if that was their last conversation for the day, the witness said yes.
Responding to how he got his truck back, the witness said he went to CIB and showed the police his phone.
He told the court that he recorded one of four conversations with Mr. Maitland.
He explained that he recorded one of the conversations because "certain things were not matching up" to him.
He said during one of the telephone conversations Mr. Maitland gave him "a little attitude".
He said Mr. Maitland said: "Me ah talk to yuh and is like you nuh waan talk to me."
"Suh him a seh is like them get to me already and him nuh business who deh beside me," the witness recounted.
The witness told the court that during the same conversation, Mr. Maitland told him that he saw Carlos and he told him that the police had his truck.
He said Mr. Maitland assured him that the police are doing their investigation and he would get his truck back.
The trial continues on Thursday.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
