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At Newry Crown Court, one of the two women accusing Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of sexual abuse in their childhood testified that Lady Eleanor Donaldson, Sir Jeffrey’s wife, was informed about an alleged incident but “did nothing about it.” This statement came during cross-examination by Lady Donaldson’s lawyer, Ian Turkington KC. Sir Jeffrey, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), currently denies 18 counts of sexual abuse, including one charge of rape, while Lady Donaldson faces five charges connected to aiding and abetting. Due to mental health concerns, Lady Donaldson is undergoing a trial of the facts rather than a conventional trial, and she is not actively participating in the proceedings.
Complainant A, the younger of the two alleged victims, testified that she told Lady Donaldson about an incident in which Sir Jeffrey had behaved strangely and looked at her inappropriately. She stated, “I knew by the look on her face she knew I was telling the truth,” and added, “Why would I make something like that up? I had no motive. Once she identified I was telling the truth, she did nothing about it.” According to legal arguments, Lady Donaldson had raised the matter with Sir Jeffrey following these disclosures. The complainant further alleged a separate incident involving Sir Jeffrey kissing her, describing it as him having “put his tongue in my mouth” and “moved his tongue around my mouth,” remarks that were reportedly dismissed by both defendants as “just a joke.”
During her examination, Turkington questioned Complainant A about why she had not included details of the counselling she received after the alleged abuse during police interviews. She responded that she had forgotten some of it but maintained she had “nothing to hide.” When a counsellor’s notes described her memory of the events as “really poor, very bad,” the complainant countered, “I think it is unfair to say really bad… his notes are his interpretation.” She acknowledged that memories of abuse could be “really foggy” and emphasized, “I have been very transparent” and “I have tried to remember these events and convey them to the best of my ability.” Later in her testimony, she declared, “I’m here to tell the truth and I am telling the truth.”
Sir Jeffrey faces accusations of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A from 1999 to 2008 while she was a child. Additional alleged offences, going back to 1985, involve a second woman, Complainant B, including a charge of rape. Complainant A concluded her testimony on Monday afternoon, and Complainant B is scheduled to begin her evidence on Tuesday morning. The jury will be shown a video recording of Complainant B’s police interview conducted in March 2024 as part of the ongoing trial
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