The seven members of the jury in the Noel Maitland trial have gone off to deliberate.

Trial Judge Leighton Pusey, after completing his summation, ordered the jurors to place their phones in an envelope and retire to the jury room to come to their verdict of guilty or not guilty.

Maitland is on trial for murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse in relation to the July 12, 2022 disappearance of his 24-year-old girlfriend, Donna-Lee Donaldson. Donaldson, who was a social media influencer, call centre employee and entrepreneur, was last seen at the Chelsea Manor Apartments in St Andrew where Maitland lived.

Judge Pusey implored the jurors that based on the evidence presented to them over the last eight months, they have to be sure beyond a reasonable doubt that Donaldson is dead and that there is an actual body and that Maitland took steps to prevent the lawful burial of her corpse.

He indicated to them that if they cannot be sure beyond a reasonable doubt, their verdict should be not guilty for preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

He also pointed out to them that if they believe that he did not kill Donaldson, but took steps to prevent her lawful burial, their verdict should be guilty in relation to preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

READ: Jurors urged to use ‘common sense’ to come to a verdict in Maitland’s murder trial