Donaldson denies meeting sex abuse accuser to 'nip in the bud' allegations

PA Media

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has denied attending a meeting with one of his two sex abuse accusers in order to “nip in the bud” allegations made against him.

The former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader, 63, has been giving evidence for a second day at his trial at Newry Crown Court.

He denies a total of 18 offences, including rape, allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008.

There are two alleged victims, referred to as Complainants A and B, who both claim they were abused by him when they were children.

Prosecution lawyer Rosemary Walsh KC asked Sir Jeffrey about a meeting he had with Complainant B at the Christian Family Centre in Armoy in the late 1990s.

It had been arranged by one of the centre’s founders, Davey Hoy, after she told a pastor about the alleged abuse.

Walsh suggested to Sir Jeffrey that he had gone because it was “something you needed to nip in the bud”.

“He didn’t say ‘you need to get up to Armoy as there are serious issues to deal with’. I was not worried about going. I went willingly.”

He repeatedly denied knowing the meeting was about her allegations.

In evidence, Complainant B stated he had apologised to her – but Sir Jeffrey has claimed he was saying sorry if he had ever made her feel “uncomfortable” about him.

He said no allegations were raised at the meeting.

“If the suggestion is that what I was apologising for is that someone had said there were allegations, that is not the case,” he told the court.

“She had become a Christian and wanted to move forward… I responded to that.”

He said they had embraced at the end of what had been a short meeting, also attended by Hoy and his wife Linda.

The court previously heard evidence from the Hoys.

Linda Hoy said Complainant B cried at the meeting when she said she forgave Sir Jeffrey.

Walsh asked Sir Jeffrey why, if the meeting was a “positive experience” as he had previously told the court, Complainant B had cried.

“I remember talking with her, I don’t remember the tears, I remember we embraced at the end of the meeting… maybe when I left there were tears, I don’t know,” he said.

Walsh then suggested that Sir Jeffrey “took control” of the meeting.

“You went in there and immediately said that you knew what all this was about and that you were truly sorry,” Walsh said.

“I didn’t take control of that meeting, I did not march into that meeting and say ‘OK I know what this is about’,” he said.

Walsh also asked the defendant about evidence, previously heard in court, that Complainant B had disclosed allegations to the Hoys’ daughter, Claire Selfridge, when the two women were in their teens.

Walsh asked Sir Jeffrey if Complainant B had lied to Selfridge.

He replied that he was “not aware of the meeting” and “was not aware of what happened”.

She went on to ask him if Complainant B had also lied to Christian pastor Stephen Matthews.

The court previously heard Complainant B had told him she had been sexually abused.

“Yes, the allegations being made by her, I have said repeatedly are untrue,” Sir Jeffrey responded.

Later in his evidence, he said he did not know why the two alleged victims had gone to the police at the same time.

He repeated that their allegations are “untrue”.

Walsh asked him if the reason he had been able to comment on the size of Complainant A’s breasts was because he had been touching them.

Sir Jeffrey denies acts of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A when she was a child, between 1999 and 2008.

He also denies other alleged offences dating back to 1985, including a charge of rape, against Complainant B.

His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson denies five charges of aiding and abetting his alleged offending.

Lady Donaldson faces a trial of the facts after she was previously deemed unfit to face a conventional trial on mental health grounds, and is therefore not participating in proceedings.