Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson faces sexual assault trial in Newry

A jury at Newry Crown Court in Northern Ireland heard a police interview with a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted as a child by former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The complainant described hearing Donaldson’s "heavy breathing" during the alleged attacks, recounting two incidents that occurred when she was of primary‑school and secondary‑school age.

Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 sexual‑offence charges spanning 1985‑2008 involving two alleged victims. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, denies aiding and abetting him and faces a trial of the facts. Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations surfaced. The trial is ongoing.