It was not how the prosecution had planned it. Lawrence Visoski, Jeffrey Epstein’s personal pilot, took the stand on the opening day of Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial.

The government attorneys had intended to lead on powerful testimony from Ms Maxwell’s first accuser, “Jane”, but jury selection had run over in the morning session and they didn’t want her to be interrupted by an adjournment.

Mr Visoski worked for the convicted sex offender for nearly three decades and was considered one of his most loyal employees.

He claimed he had never seen any unaccompanied minors on his flights on Epstein’s private jet that gained the nickname “The Lolita Express”, despite logs released several years ago suggesting otherwise. 

He told the jury he thought “Jane”, who was 14 when she first flew on Epstein’s Gulfstream IV, was a “mature adult”.

The prosecution failed to interrogate his account. Mr Visoski was a witness for the government, but he ended up aiding the defence.

It wasn’t the first own goal for the prosecution, which is being led by Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI director James Comey, at the age of just 32.

The prosecution’s opening statement – the crucial first impression the prosecution makes on a jury – ran just shy of 25 minutes.

‘I’ve never seen such a short opening statement’

“I’ve never seen such a short opening statement in a criminal case in all my career,” one seasoned former New York prosecutor told The Telegraph in one of the brief breaks.

The second day wasn’t much better.

“Jane”, referred to as Victim One in the indictment against Ms Maxwell, gave a powerful account of the sexual assaults she claimed to have suffered at the hands of both the British socialite and Epstein.

She alleged that Ms Maxwell was in the room for much of the abuse, that she touched her breasts and instructed her on how best to pleasure Epstein. Ms Maxwell denies the accusations.