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Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has appeared in court to deny all sex abuse allegations brought against him by two women identified as Complainant A and Complainant B. Speaking for the first time during the ongoing trial at Newry Crown Court, Sir Jeffrey categorically rejected the claims, which include 18 charges ranging from indecent assault to rape, allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008. The trial is currently in its third week.
Both complainants reported the accusations to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in March 2024. During cross-examination, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC questioned Sir Jeffrey about specific incidents mentioned by Complainant A, including allegations of inappropriate touching and kissing. Sir Jeffrey responded that their perspectives on the events were fundamentally different and denied that the acts took place, explicitly agreeing that the complainant was lying. Regarding Complainant B, who accuses him of rape, Sir Jeffrey stated, “I’ve told the truth and I believe what has been alleged is untrue,” again affirming his belief that she was not telling the truth.
Sir Jeffrey was also questioned about a 2020 letter written to Complainant A, in which he expressed regret for causing “hurt, pain and distress.” The complainant had previously interpreted this as an apology related to the abuse allegations. However, Sir Jeffrey denied that the letter acknowledged any wrongdoing connected to these claims, saying, “I would never have done anything of that nature. This was not the reason why this letter was written.” When addressing the rape allegation by Complainant B, he asserted he was “absolutely crystal clear” that it did not happen. He also called “unbelievable” an allegation that his wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, witnessed inappropriate behavior and walked away without intervening, stating that she would have reacted differently given her character.
The court heard about a meeting in the 1990s at a Christian Centre in Armoy between Sir Jeffrey and Complainant B, during which she claimed he apologized. Sir Jeffrey recalled the meeting as brief and positive, noting that neither the word “allegation” nor any sexual abuse accusation was mentioned at the time. Additionally, Sir Jeffrey spoke about various aspects of his personal life, including a brief extramarital affair in 2008 that caused pain to his wife and mentioned tensions resulting from his demanding political career. Lady Eleanor Donaldson, who denies five charges of aiding and abetting the alleged offenses, is undergoing a trial of the facts after being deemed unfit for a conventional trial due to mental health reasons and is not currently participating in proceedings
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