Donna-Lee’s mom still hopes to find her body

Minutes after watching her daughter's killer Constable Noel Maitland being led away in tears after being found guilty for murder, the mother of Donna-Lee Donaldson said the verdict has not given her the closure she desperately wants.

Sophia Lugg, who has been fighting for justice since her daughter vanished in 2022, said while grateful for the verdict handed down in the Home Circuit Court on Thursday, it "can't give me back my child".

"I still want to know where my daughter is. I really want that closure. It don't solve my problems, but I can go on knowing justice has been served," she said. Donaldson, 24, was last seen on July 12, 2022, after leaving her home to meet Maitland, who was her boyfriend. Her body has never been found. Prosecutors told the court that she was killed that same day, and that Maitland later disposed of her body to prevent a lawful burial, a charge for which he was also found guilty. The trial began in 2024. A seven-member jury deliberated for just over three and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts on both charges.

As the verdict was read, Maitland stood in the dock gripping the railing for support, struggling to contain his emotions. When police officers escorted him out, tears streamed down his face. His tears were mirrored by Donaldson's mother and sister, who broke down in court before later turning to thank members of the public who had stood by them throughout the long legal battle.

"To all my Jamaican people, thank you for standing with me in unity," Lugg said. "Today the verdict has passed and victory belongs to us. Thanks to the justice system, the jurors, Judge Pusey and the team from the DPP."

Still, she said the pain of not knowing where her daughter's remains are continues to haunt her.

"I may never know what happened to my daughter Donna-Lee Donaldson. I may never get a bone, but justice will serve," she said through tears. "I will fight to the end. This is not the end, because there is a higher authority God who will deal with this in His own way."

Asked about Maitland's emotional breakdown, Lugg said she could not judge.

"I don't know how to answer that one. Tears are a language, even for murderers. God understands. He knows why he cries. He has been crying from day one. I don't understand why Noel Maitland did this, but God knows," she said.

Meanwhile, Maitland's attorney Christopher Townsend said the defence was surprised by the verdict.

"There is always the Court of Appeal. I had a strong feeling that whichever way the verdict went, there would have been an appeal. We are concerned about how some of the issues were dealt with. You notice the summation was very short, and the jury took about three and a half hours to reach a decision," he said.

"He is very teary-eyed. He knows he is innocent, and we have to take another opportunity to seek justice," the attorney said about his client.

Outside court, a woman who identified herself as a friend of Maitland, said she was conflicted by the outcome.

"I don't know how to feel, I remember him as a police officer bringing in criminals, doing his duties. This is hard to process." Lugg said she had no doubt.

"I believe in God, and I knew He would give me justice. I am a winner, because God is on my side."