Ghislaine Maxwell’s defence in disarray as witness goes AWOL

A judge has warned Ghislaine Maxwell’s defence team that they might have to rest their case after a witness was unable to be located.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s defence has been thrown into disarray after a defence witness was unable to be located, moving the judge to say she would not give them more time to find her.

The socialite’s sex trafficking case continued on Friday local time with the defence asking to keep the case open through Monday to call a final 81-year-old witness, saying: “Our client’s life is on the line.”

Judge Alison Nathan said she would not approve the request because: “I have a rule, you have your next witness or you rest.”

Maxwell’s defence team said they originally planned to call 35 witnesses, but it now appears only a handful will take the stand.

Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial on sex trafficking charges. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

The defence opened its case on Thursday with testimony from Jeffrey Epstein’s executive assistant from 1996 to 200, who said that she “highly respected” Maxwell and that she “looked up to her very much”.

The jury was told that Epstein was also romantically involved with a wealthy Norwegian businesswoman while he was dating Maxwell.

Ms Maxwell is “unlikely” to testify in her defence as she is “too fragile”, her family’s spokesman told The Telegraph. The socialite’s family and friends are concerned about how the 59-year-old would hold up in the witness box.

On Thursday, Maxwell’s former assistant testified that she never saw her employer or Epstein engage in any inappropriate behaviour with underage girls.

A courtroom sketch shows Ghislaine Maxwell and her lawyer Bobbi Sternheim engaging in a robust discussion. Picture: Reuters

Cimberly Espinosa, 55, was the first witness called by the lawyers defending Maxwell against charges of enticing and transporting minors for sex.

The 59-year-old Maxwell is accused of grooming underage girls to be sexually exploited by her long-time partner Epstein, who killed himself in jail two years ago while awaiting trial.

Ms Espinosa, who worked as Maxwell’s assistant from 1996 to 2002, responded “never” when asked by a defence lawyer whether she had ever seen Maxwell or Epstein engage in any inappropriate activity with underages girls, though she had not visited all of Epstein’s properties.

Ms Espinosa told the court she was hired when she was 28 years old to work as an administrative assistant with Epstein’s legal team. After about a month she switched to become Maxwell’s assistant.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

She said Maxwell was “demanding” but she enjoyed working for her.

“I hugely respected Ghislaine. I looked up to her very much,” she said.

“She treated me fair. It was nice and it was fun.” Espinosa said her duties included booking meetings, setting up calls and making dinner reservations.

Maxwell was “the estate manager in my mind” for Epstein’s several properties, she said. “Ghislaine was very important to Jeffrey.”

Ms Espinosa was also asked questions about “Jane,” a woman who testified under a pseudonym about being recruited by Maxwell at a summer camp when she was 14 years old.

Jane, one of four women who took the stand to testify against Maxwell, said sexual encounters with Epstein became routine, with Maxwell sometimes present.

A picture of Maxwell and Epstein tendered in court.

Ms Espinosa said Jane would regularly come to the office and she felt she had a “loving relationship” with Epstein.

She said Jane’s mother also regularly came to the office and referred to her daughter as Epstein’s “goddaughter.”

“She was kind of considered family and always treated with the utmost respect,” Ms Espinosa said.

Jane, her mother and brothers regularly stayed at an apartment that Epstein owned in Manhattan, she said.

The trial continues.