Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson denies sexual abuse charges in Newry court

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, is on trial at Newry Crown Court for 18 historical sexual‑offence charges, including one count of rape and several indecent‑assault allegations dating from 1985 to 2008. He has pleaded not guilty.

Audio recordings of a four‑and‑a‑half‑hour police interview, of which three hours were played to the jury, captured Donaldson describing the allegations as “unbelievable” and insisting he did “nothing untoward”. He denied touching the complainants, rejecting claims that he shone a light on a child’s private parts or touched a victim’s breasts. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, faces a separate “trial of the facts” for alleged aiding and abetting.

Donaldson was arrested in March 2024, resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party. The trial continues as the jury hears testimony from the two alleged victims.