Blood-stained drapes, cushions found in cop’s apartment, court told

The murder trial of Constable Noel Maitland was on Thursday adjourned until July 7 in the Home Circuit Court for administrative reasons that were not disclosed to the public.

Maitland is currently on trial for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, 24-year-old Donna-Lee Donaldson. He also faces a charge of preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

Donaldson, a popular social media personality, swimwear entrepreneur, and customer service representative, was reported missing on July 13, 2022. Her mother, Sophia Lugg, previously testified that Maitland picked her daughter up from their home on July 11. Lugg said she last spoke with Donaldson on the morning of July 12 but was unable to contact her afterward.

During Thursday’s court proceedings, a chief crime scene examiner from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) gave detailed testimony regarding evidence found at Maitland’s Chelsea Avenue apartment in St Andrew.

The examiner said that during his visit on July 28, 2022, he observed several stains resembling blood on a pair of drapes and on the wall to the left of the living room. He also noted similar stains on a cream-coloured cushion cover placed on top of a barrel.

“I also observed additional stains on a cream-coloured cushion cover on top of a barrel,” he said.

The crime scene examiner also told the court that he photographed the stains. He said the cushion cover was collected and placed in an envelope, and the drapes were wrapped in brown paper and sealed. The packages were labelled and later taken to the Government’s forensic laboratory.

Following the apartment search, the examiner said he proceeded to the Half-Way Tree Police Station, where he conducted a forensic examination of a pickup truck. No traces of blood were found on the vehicle after three chemical tests, all of which returned negative results. The truck’s driver was present during the examination.

The witness further testified that after the inspections, the photographs were transferred from the memory card to two compact discs and also uploaded to an image server at INDECOM’s office.

He also confirmed that prior to visiting Maitland’s apartment, he collected a toothbrush from Donaldson’s mother’s home, which was also photographed.

So far, seven witnesses have been called in the trial. The case includes a total of 32 witnesses and is expected to last approximately 10 weeks.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com