Jury in Donaldson trial hears victim claim she was abused from 'quite a young age'

PA Media

The jury hearing the sex abuse trial of former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been shown video recordings of police interviews with one of his alleged victims.

In them, Complainant A described a number of alleged encounters with him, including a kiss in which she claimed he put his tongue in her mouth.

Known as ABE (achieving best evidence) interviews, they were conducted three weeks before his arrest in March 2024.

Sir Jeffrey, 63, denies 18 charges against two alleged victims when they were children, including one count of rape.

He is accused of eight offences against Complainant A, which allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2008.

They are four counts of gross indecency and four counts of indecent assault.

In the first of two ABE interviews shown, she began: “I, from quite a young age, was, I think, sexually abused by Jeffrey Donaldson.”

She claimed Sir Jeffrey had made comments about the size of her breasts.

She also recalled him kissing her on occasions, including one five-second kiss “which really stood out”.

Complainant A stated: “He put his tongue in my mouth and moved it around before I was able to push him off.

“The kiss was not a pleasant thing.”

She claimed he “laughed off” the incident as “just a joke”.

In another alleged encounter, she claimed Sir Jeffrey had used a bright light, possibly a torch, to look at her private parts.

She said the experience had made her feel “really frightened”.

At this point in the police interview she became tearful.

She went on to claim that Sir Jeffrey had also put his hands under her bra and rubbed her breasts.

Later, as an adult, she said she realised the incidents were abnormal.

She described having to watch Sir Jeffrey receive “accolade after accolade” in public life.

She described herself as having been sexually aware from a young age and getting nightmares “about men doing horrible things to children”.

In adult life, Complainant A claimed that she confronted Sir Jeffrey.

“I said: ‘Can you confirm this happened to me?’

“He didn’t say anything. He just nodded his head and looked at the floor.

“He couldn’t look at me. There was a silence.”

The Donaldsons were arrested in their County Down home and charged on 28 March 2024.

He resigned as DUP leader the next day and did not contest his Lagan Valley seat in the general election four months later.

In total, he is accused of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault.

His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a trial of the facts on five related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied.

Lady Donaldson will face a trial of the facts after being found unfit for a conventional trial under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order.

Under a trial of the facts, she will not participate in proceedings.