Police officers who were called to a domestic disturbance involving a lawyer accused of murdering the mother of his child took the stand during his trial yesterday.

Constable Gregory White told the Supreme Court that he was called to the Warwick residence of Kamal Worrell on November 14, 2018, after he received calls about a domestic disturbance.

Mr White said that Chavelle Dillon-Burgess, the alleged victim of the case, looked “very distressed” when he arrived and that he noticed a bruise on her upper lip.

He spoke with her outside of their home, where she alleged that Mr Worrell hit her several times with his hands and a cooking pot while she held their infant son.

Mr White said that he recommended Ms Dillon-Burgess receive medical attention, and she later left with a family member.

He added that he was called to arrest Mr Worrell two days later and took him to the Hamilton Police Station for an interview. To questions, he “mostly responded with ‘no comment’”.

Mr Worrell was later charged with six counts of common assault.

Mr Worrell has denied allegations of murdering Ms Dillon-Burgess on an unknown date between April 10 and June 11, 2020.

He has also denied a charge of wounding Ms Dillon-Burgess and a charge of common assault related to an incident on June 1, 2019 and six counts of common assault related to an incident on November 14, 2018.

During cross-examination by Mr Worrell, who is representing himself, Mr White said he did not know who called 911 and could not confirm if Mr Worrell had been the caller.

He added that, while there was shouting between the two, he did not see Mr Worrell hit Ms Dillon-Burgess or advance towards her during the police visit.

Mr White denied that Ms Dillon-Burgess was aggressive during the stop, but noted that she was loud at the time.

He later added: “On arrival, I could tell there was tension in the atmosphere.”

Mr White also said that he did not take written notes at the time, but later wrote a police report on the incident.

Ms Dillon-Burgess was reported missing in 2020 and has not been found.

Chief Inspector Alexander Rollin, who earlier took the stand, said that Ms Dillon-Burgess forwarded him WhatsApp messages from Mr Worrell in which he apologised and said that their son needed him in his life.

In the messages, he also promised that he wouldn’t “try to put you out again” and said he called the police to “calm the situation”.

Earlier in the trial, the court was read witness statements from Ms Dillon-Burgess in November 2018 and June 2019, in which she alleged that arguments about their child had escalated to physical violence.

In December 2018, Ms Dillon-Burgess made a statement withdrawing her complaints about the first incident, but she later told police she had “changed her mind”.

She told officers in June 2019 that a dispute over their son’s food had turned violent with Mr Worrell shoving her, kneeling on her back and later striking her forehead with a metal spatula, cutting her.

Following the allegation, Mr Worrell described Ms Dillon-Burgess in a police interview as “hostile” and “aggressive”, adding that he never attacked her and only acted in defence. The trial continues.

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