A stern Justice Vinnette Graham-Allen on Monday told both prosecution and defence in the murder case involving former police constable Noel Maitland, in the Supreme Court, that come November 1 a trial date will be set in the matter, indicating that she is not up for any further delays.

Maitland is accused of murdering and unlawfully disposing the corpse of his social media personality girlfriend Donna-Lee Donaldson in July 2022.

Plea and case management in the matter had to be adjourned on Monday because of outstanding documents and statements.

The judge demanded that all outstanding material be submitted for disclosure on or before October 20, 2023. She also ordered that the indictment on which the prosecution intends to go forward with be settled on or before October 27.

“When we get back here, it is going to be a trial date that will be fixed. The plea and case management is further adjourned because documents and statements have just been received by the defence. The process must be fair in that the defence has to go through all these material with Mr Maitland and take further instructions. It is not just the trial that must be fair. It’s the entire process leading up to the trial [that] must be fair.”

Justice Graham-Allen also ordered that the prosecution and defence engage in discussions prior to the plea and case management hearing date.

“What this court has observed is that in the face of the court, is when some defence lawyers want to engage the prosecution in discussion and this court will not allow that. You must obey the court’s orders. You need to determine whether full disclosure has been made and whether any statements or facts can be agreed. The mode of trial and the estimated length of the trial must also be discussed.”

Before the plea and case management hearing on November 1, Maitland’s attorneys will apply again for bail.

Donaldson was last seen in the company of Maitland on July 11 at his Chelsea Manor apartment in New Kingston, St Andrew. On July 13, she was reported missing.

The police say they found adequate circumstantial evidence to believe that Donaldson was dead and that she was killed on July 12, 2022 between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm.