SOPHIA Lugg testified Wednesday that Constable Noel Maitland, the boyfriend of her daughter Donna-Lee Donaldson, seemed nervous while at the Half-Way-Tree Police Station in St Andrew, where they had gone to report Donaldson missing on July 13, 2022.

Donaldson was last seen alive on July 12, 2022 at the Chelsea Manor Apartment complex in St Andrew, where Maitland lived. Prosecutors have compiled a host of circumstantial evidence and have used it to build a case against Maitland, who is on trial in the Home Circuit Court in Kingston in relation to murder and the unlawful burial of Donaldson’s corpse.

There was closed-circuit television footage of Donaldson and Maitland arriving at the apartment, but none which showed her leaving the complex.

Lugg told the seven-member jury in the trial that while she was giving a statement at the police station, her mood was one of devastation. On the other hand, she said, Maitland seemed as if he was “disturbed and in panic”.

“Noel came in the room where officer Voucher and I were. He told the officer that he would have to leave. Officer Voucher said, ‘You can’t go because your statement is not yet given’. Noel told officer Voucher that he would leave his number with him so he can call him when it is his time to give the statement. He then left. Noel was moving very fast,” Lugg recalled.

“Maitland had his phone in his hand and he was texting very fast. I didn’t see who he was texting or what was being texted. Yes, I did complete that statement to the police. When I was finished, I left the station,” Lugg said.

A very emotional Lugg on Tuesday outlined for the jury that Maitland had contacted her on the 13th to ask her if she had heard from Donaldson. Lugg explained that she thought the question was ridiculous because it was Maitland who picked up her daughter from her house and brought her to where he lived. His explanation to Lugg when she raised questions, was that both himself and Donaldson got upset over a particular issue and she left. He insisted that he did not know where she went or if anyone came and picked her up. Lugg recommended that he check the cameras at the apartment complex and according to her, Maitland thought that was a good idea and said he wasn’t at the apartment but would call her back shortly.

On Wednesday, Lugg told the court that Maitland in fact called her back, explaining that he got no positive information from the people responsible for the accessing and monitoring the cameras.

“He called back and said he spoke to the camera guys and they said there were a lot of vehicles coming in and out with glasses [windows] wind up so they wouldn’t able to see who was taking her out. I told him that was stupidity. I told him that doesn’t make sense because the cars must have stopped at the security point when leaving and entering. He then promised to call me back.

“He called back in about 45 minutes after that last call. He started encouraging me and insisted that I report the matter. He kept repeating that I needed to go to the police station because this was unlike Donna. He meant something was really wrong with Donna. He asked me which police station I was going. I told him I would speak to him. In about half an hour he called me again.

“By that time I was convinced that something had happened to Donna-Lee. I decided to go to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station. It was the nearest one. My brother and a couple of my family members accompanied me in my car. When I arrived at the station, my phone was ringing. It was Noel Maitland. He asked me which one of the police stations I decided to go. I told him and he said he would be there shortly,” Lugg shared.

“In about five minutes, a silver car pulled up and it was Noel, accompanied by a female. Yes, I knew the person’s name, Cathy Ann Smith. When Noel pulled up in the silver car, he came up the stairs at the police station. Noel Maitland and I started talking to an Inspector Henry. I started explaining to Miss Henry when Donna-Lee left home. I pointed to Mr Maitland and I said, ‘Inspector, this is her boyfriend. He was the one who took her from home’,” Lugg told the court.

According to her, the inspector turned to Maitland and asked him what happened. Lugg said Maitland told Inspector Henry that Donaldson left the apartment a little after 10:00. She said that the policewoman then asked him who picked her up and he said he did not know.

“Miss Henry said to him, ‘Come better than that. You know better than that’,” Lugg told the court.

Donaldson’s mother said, too, that her daughter went out with Maitland at least twice per week and would usually return home the following morning.

“He normally would drop her off in his black BMW. On one occasion, he drove the truck that carries prisoners. He also would drive a police jeep,” she said, highlighting that Donaldson had alerted her to a disagreement she had with Maitland and told her what it was about.