Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on trial for sex abuse charges
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stood trial at Newry Crown Court on 18 sex abuse charges, including rape, as two accusers described the hurt they said he caused.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson faced 18 sex abuse charges at Newry Crown Court as his trial became both a criminal test and a political reckoning for the Democratic Unionist Party. The former DUP leader denies one count of rape and the rest of the allegations, while prosecutors have urged jurors to keep in mind the visible pain and hurt described by the accusers in evidence.
Donaldson resigned as DUP leader in March 2024 after being charged over alleged historical sexual offences, a shock that upended the party’s leadership and sent Gavin Robinson into the interim role. For a party long associated with unionist authority and discipline, the case has become a damaging measure of credibility, especially among supporters who once saw Donaldson as one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures.
The courtroom has heard from two alleged victims over several days in the witness box. Their evidence has sat at the centre of the prosecution case, which has asked the jury to remember the way the accusers described the impact of the allegations and the distress they said followed them into court.
The defence has rejected the charges and says Donaldson did not commit the offences. It has challenged the allegations throughout the trial, which is being heard in Newry, in a case that has drawn intense attention because the accusations are historical and because of Donaldson’s former standing at the top of the DUP.
The proceedings also include a separate trial of facts involving Eleanor Donaldson, who is accused of aiding and abetting. Her legal team has said she is incapable of taking part, adding another layer of complexity to a case already weighing heavily on the party and on Northern Ireland’s political culture.
Beyond the charges themselves, the trial has become a wider test of institutional trust. It has forced fresh scrutiny on how allegations against powerful public figures are handled, how much confidence victims can place in the system, and how far elite accountability has shifted in Northern Ireland since Donaldson’s resignation.
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