Jury in Jeffrey Donaldson trial continues deliberations

Politics
22 Jun 2026 • 8:07 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Jury in Jeffrey Donaldson trial continues deliberations

The jury in the sex offences trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is continuing deliberations at Newry Crown Court.

The jury of seven men and five women has now considered its verdicts for more than nine hours.

Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

The trial is taking place at Newry Crown Court (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

Complainants A and B have both given evidence at the trial.

Both women allege they were abused as children.

Donaldson spent two days giving evidence during the trial.

His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

She is facing a trial of the facts on mental health grounds.

The trial of the facts will test the evidence in the case but cannot result in a criminal conviction.

Judge Paul Ramsey brought the jury back into the courtroom shortly before lunch on Monday and said he had been passed two notes, including a query about the definition of aiding and abetting.

He told the jurors they had to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Jeffrey Donaldson had committed the offences of which he is accused and that Eleanor Donaldson had aided and abetted in the alleged offences.

He defined this as her assisting or encouraging the offences through a “positive act, whether by words or deeds”.

The jury will continue deliberations on Monday afternoon.

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