Jeffrey Donaldson: Ex DUP leader told police sex abuse allegations were 'unbelievable'

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has “absolutely categorically” denied allegations made against him during a police interview regarding accusations of sexual assault. The 63-year-old politician faces 18 charges of sexual abuse, including one count of rape, concerning alleged incidents between 1985 and 2008. After his arrest in March 2024, Sir Jeffrey described the accusations as “unbelievable.” According to a detective constable at Newry Crown Court, the interview lasted four and a half hours, with three hours of footage admitted as evidence during the trial.

During the police questioning, Sir Jeffrey rejected claims that he engaged in sexual acts with one of the complainants. When asked about allegations that he had rubbed his penis near a complainant’s clitoris and inserted his penis into her vagina, he stated, “That did not happen. The answer to that is absolutely no.” He denied ever engaging in any similar conduct in any situation, responding with, “Never. Not ever.” Further, he denied accusations involving another complainant, including claims that he had lifted her top and touched her breasts, firmly answering, “No, no, no.” Concerning a specific allegation that Lady Eleanor Donaldson witnessed an incident and did not intervene, Sir Jeffrey said, “If my wife had felt there was something wrong going on, my wife would have said at the time and would have intervened at the time. That’s the nature of Eleanor.”

The interview also touched on a 1990s meeting at the Christian Family Centre in Armoy, Antrim, where Sir Jeffrey met with a complainant who had alleged prior abuse. He confirmed that during the meeting no allegations of the specific abuses now raised were made to him. Sir Jeffrey acknowledged apologizing to the complainant at the meeting, stating the apology was in response to her having felt “uncomfortable” and accepting her emotions. He insisted no inappropriate behavior was alleged to him at the time.

Throughout the interview, Sir Jeffrey maintained his innocence, consistently denying claims made by both complainants. When questioned about multiple allegations involving inappropriate touching, kissing, and sexual comments toward one of the complainants during her childhood, he replied with firm refusals such as “No, absolutely not” and “Absolutely not.” He denied ever using a bright light, reportedly a torch, to look at the private parts of one complainant, and rejected suggestions that he sexually sexualized or made innuendos towards her. At the close of the interview extracts presented in court, he emphasized, “I’ve answered all your questions and I’m saying to you what fits. I’ve taken each situation that you’ve put to me and I do not accept the picture that is being painted here.”

Lady Eleanor Donaldson, Sir Jeffrey’s wife, faces charges of aiding and abetting but has been deemed unfit to stand trial in the usual manner due to mental health reasons. Her police interview is scheduled to be shown to the jury at Newry Crown Court. The alleged offenses against the two complainants reportedly took place over a period spanning more than two decades. Both women reported the incidents to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in March 2024. Sir Jeffrey denies acts of gross indecency and indecent assault involving Complainant A during the years 1999 to 2008, while other charges, including the rape accusation, relate to Complainant B from as far back as 1985, all of which he denies

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More