On Thursday, October 13, 2022, murder accused Constable Noel Maitland appeared before High Court judge Justice Vinette Graham for a bail application hearing in The Home Circuit Court, downtown Kingston, Jamaica. The judge denied bail and accused the Constable of using his nine years of experience in the Jamaica Constabulary Force to guide him in concealing and/or getting rid of possible evidence related to the murder of his girlfriend, Donnalee Donaldson.
The Constable was taken into custody on July 27 concerning the disappearance and murder of his girlfriend, Donna-Lee Donaldson. The police eventually charged him with murder and prevented a corpse’s lawful burial.
The 24-year-old social media influencer’s mother reported her missing on July 13, two days after being seen at Maitland’s apartment in St Andrew.
During the bail application, the lead prosecution lawyer described the lawman as a calculated killer who not only killed someone but also plotted to cover up the murder, which sparked uproar in the public interest.
Notwithstanding, she said, “The court is of the view that the accused has used those years of experience to aid him in his conduct and action in his attempt to conceal, dispose of possible evidence, and interfere with witnesses.”
Besides, the judge further explained that the court believes that if it granted bail, the accused man could abscond, interfere with witnesses, obstruct the investigation, or re-offend. And there were no conditions that the court could implement to prevent those risks.
In rejecting the bail application, Justice Graham-Allen recalled that the defendant’s lawyer, Christopher Townsend, had referenced earlier that said accused had given nine years of service to his country through the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
The judge added that she also considered that the prosecution’s case was based on circumstantial evidence, so no eyewitness would come to testify that they saw the accused kill the deceased.
Nevertheless, she cited a Court of Appeal ruling, which stated that a defendant could be convicted purely on circumstantial evidence, and the court can prove a murder regardless of whether the police found the victim’s body. Still, the circumstantial evidence must be strong and compelling to convince the jury that the accused is guilty.
The accused is scheduled to return to court on 02/09/23.
This article was sourced from excerpts taken from the Jamaica Gleaner: Court believes Maitland used police experience in attempt to conceal …. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20221014/court-believes-maitland-used-police-experience-attempt-conceal