Ex-MP Jeffrey Donaldson repeatedly denied abuse during two days in witness box

At 10.38am on Thursday June 11 , the former MP was called as a witness in his trial by his own barrister, Kieran Vaughan KC.

The man who had once been Northern Ireland's best-known politician and the leader of the region's largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), held a Bible as he was sworn in by the court clerk and confirmed his full name was " Jeffrey Mark Donaldson ."

After briefly outlining his career history, the barrister took Donaldson through allegations made by two women, known as Complainants A and B.

At one point the former DUP leader read his own words as he was handed a copy of a letter he had written to Complainant A in June 2020 expressing "regret" over "hurt, pain and distress I have caused".

Mr Vaughan asked him if the letter referred to incidents of abuse.

Donaldson said: "Absolutely not. This is not the reason why this letter was written."

Asked if he had raped Complainant B, Donaldson said: "It just didn't happen, I am absolutely crystal clear about that."

He told the jury that the concept there had been any inappropriate behaviour with the same girl was "just unbelievable".

The ex-MP was asked on several occasions whether his wife Eleanor Donaldson witnessed abuse of either complainant and denied it.

At one point he said: "My wife would have gone bananas, that is not something she would have tolerated."

On more than one occasion Donaldson became emotional as he was questioned by Mr Vaughan.

At one point he struggled to hold back tears.

Questioned about an allegation that he had kissed A, he stated: "Why would I kiss a child using my tongue? That is just ridiculous."

During his testimony Donaldson said his work as an MP had been "all-encompassing", revealing that he had confessed a 2008 affair to his wife and that on another occasion during Covid, she had arranged for his car to be bugged after discovering he was exchanging "flirtatious texts" with a constituent.

Donaldson told his barrister that he and his wife had been sleeping in bed at 6am on March 28 2024 when they were awoken by police and arrested over the historical sex abuse claims.

Facing the jury, he said: "It was totally unexpected, we just had no idea."

Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC began her cross-examination of the former Lagan Valley MP by asking him if the two complainants were lying.

Donaldson said: "I've told the truth and I believe what has been said is untrue."

When asked if this meant he believed both were lying, he agreed.

The barrister asked Donaldson if he had started abusing B when she was aged seven or eight because it was "easy" and if it had begun "quite discreetly".

He told her: "I am saying that didn't happen, very clearly saying it."

Donaldson frequently made the point that he was being questioned about incidents alleged to have happened several decades ago.

He said the prosecution had not been able to provide a date, month or even a specific year for the rape allegation made by B.

Ms Walsh said: "You could tell us when it was it happened."

Donaldson said: "I don't know when it was because it did not happen."

She asked him why B had "told all these serious lies".

He said: "I wish I knew the answer to that question."

Donaldson suggested that B may have made allegations because his career as a politician was on the "up and up", while she was dealing with drug problems at a Christian centre in Armoy.

Ms Walsh said Donaldson had treated her "like an object".

He responded: "No, I did not."

As the cross-examination stretched into the Friday, the prosecution barrister put it to the former politician that he had attended a meeting with B in Armoy in the 1990s because he needed to "nip in the bud" claims made by the woman at the time to a church pastor of abuse.

He said: "That is not true at all."

Donaldson said he had said sorry to the then teenager at the meeting, but stated the apology had been made "if she felt uncomfortable".

Ms Walsh suggested he was "trying to find a reason why you apologised to her".

He said: "Not at all."

The exchanges between barrister and defendant were frequently tense, with Donaldson often speaking over her as she attempted to question him.

At one point Judge Paul Ramsey intervened and told him to wait for the question before responding.

Ms Walsh turned to allegations made by Complainant A and suggested abuse of her had begun at primary school age with touching outside of clothing.

Donaldson said: "No, no, no."

An incident where the former DUP leader had been accused of using a light to look at A's genitals brought further denials.

When Ms Walsh said he had been "caught in the act", Donaldson responded: "Absolutely not... I was not shining a light in her eyes or on any other part of her body."

The barrister returned to the letter Donaldson had written to A in 2020.

She drew attention to his words "lift a sinner out of the deep pit of sin".

Donaldson responded "not by nature" when asked if he was a "deceitful person".

He added: "At its heart Christianity starts from the starting point we are all sinful in nature. That is what I was referring to."

Ms Walsh said: "But we are not all in a deep pit of sin."

She read another part of the letter which stated: "I know how deep the wounds are caused by my sinful and selfish actions" and suggested this referred to the sexual abuse of a child.

Ms Walsh said: "That is what the deep wounds are."

Donaldson said: "That is not the case. I was not writing to seek forgiveness for sexual abuse."

Bringing her cross-examination to a close, Ms Walsh put it to the former politician that he had "hurt" both complainants.

Donaldson said: "Absolutely not."

She said "honesty and truth" were at the centre of the evidence given by both women.

He said: "In relation to the allegations made against me, they are not true."

Ms Walsh concluded: "The only person telling lies is you, sinful and deceitful lies."

Donaldson said: "Not true."