Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has taken the witness stand at his trial, vehemently denying all 18 sex abuse charges he faces. Giving evidence at Newry Crown Court, Sir Jeffrey, 63, stated that a letter he sent to one of the alleged victims in 2020, expressing 'regret' for 'hurt, pain and distress', was 'absolutely not' an admission of abuse. The trial, now in its third week, involves allegations from two women, which Sir Jeffrey denies.
During his testimony, Sir Jeffrey was questioned by his defence barrister, Kieran Vaughan KC, about the letter. The court had previously heard that the alleged victim, referred to as Complainant A, interpreted the letter as an attempt to apologise for the alleged abuse. However, Sir Jeffrey told the jury, 'Absolutely not. I would never have done anything of that nature. This was not the reason why this letter was written.'
Addressing a rape allegation made by Complainant B, Sir Jeffrey was equally emphatic, stating, 'It just didn't happen. I am absolutely crystal clear about that. It is just simply not true.' He further dismissed as 'unbelievable' the claim that he 'played' with Complainant B's breasts and that his wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, had witnessed it and walked away. Sir Jeffrey stated that his wife would have been 'very angry and intervened immediately' if such an incident had occurred.
The court also heard about a meeting in the 1990s at a Christian Centre in Armoy, where Complainant B claimed Sir Jeffrey had apologised. Sir Jeffrey recalled a short meeting, also attended by Davey and Linda Hoy who ran the centre, where he 'embraced' Complainant B and expressed sorrow if she had ever felt 'uncomfortable or unhappy' about him. He clarified that no allegation of sexual abuse was mentioned at this meeting, describing it as a 'very positive experience'.
Sir Jeffrey also refuted an alleged incident involving Complainant A, who claimed he had kissed her and put his tongue in her mouth, dismissing it as 'ridiculous' and stating it 'just did not ever happen'. He described his and Lady Donaldson's arrest at 06:00 GMT on 28 March 2024 as 'a complete shock', saying they had 'no idea this was coming'.
The former DUP leader also spoke about an extra-marital affair in London in 2008, which he said caused his wife 'hurt and pain' and that he would regret 'until my dying day'. He attributed 'tensions' in his marriage to the 'all consuming' nature of political life and mentioned his wife's struggles with mental health, including an incident in 2020 where she placed a listening device in his car after discovering texts with a constituent.
Source: Newry Crown Court