Court Told Donaldson’s Letter to Abuse Allegation Was Unrelated to the Claims

Newry Crown Court was informed on Thursday that a correspondence sent by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct was unrelated to the specific allegations against him. Kieran Vaughan KC, counsel for the former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader, advanced this argument while cross-examining Complainant A, one of two women bringing charges against Sir Jeffrey. The 63-year-old stands accused of 18 sexual offenses, including a single count of rape, all of which he denies.

During the proceedings, the court read a letter from June 2020 in which Sir Jeffrey expressed regret for the "hurt, pain and distress" he had caused. Complainant A testified that she had interpreted the message as an attempt by the former politician to apologize for the alleged abuse. However, Vaughan disputed this interpretation, arguing it was not the "proper context" for the correspondence. He asserted to the witness that the letter had "nothing to do with you and sexual assault," claiming instead that Sir Jeffrey was apologizing for other unspecified behavior. Vaughan further suggested that Complainant A had failed to provide police with this context when she handed over the letter following an interview in March 2024.

Complainant A rejected the lawyer’s characterization, maintaining that she viewed the note as an apology for what she believed had been done to her. She described Sir Jeffrey as a "very clever man" who would likely avoid writing explicit details of any misconduct but might use subtle hints to imply remorse. "In his own way, he's using that letter as a form of apology but it's not an apology," she stated, noting that while one might acknowledge a sin, the letter lacked any specific details. She concluded that this vagueness was "not enough."

Vaughan also presented various communications between the complainant and Sir Jeffrey to the court, suggesting they demonstrated a tone of "friendly banter" that contradicted the abuse claims. Complainant A firmly denied that the alleged incidents did not occur. She detailed three specific events in which she claims Sir Jeffrey inappropriately kissed her, rubbed her breasts, and shone a light—possibly a torch—on her genital area.

Furthermore, she alleged that Sir Jeffrey’s wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, was present during one incident where she claims the former DUP leader rubbed her chest with his hand under her clothing. Complainant A stated that Lady Donaldson did not intervene or say anything at the time. When Vaughan questioned whether it was "serious" to claim that Lady Donaldson witnessed the act, Complainant A affirmed it was. Vaughan dismissed the claim as "nonsense," a response Complainant A characterized as "insulting."

The court heard that Complainant A reported the allegations to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in March 2024, despite attending a meeting with police the previous year. When asked why she delayed reporting, she explained that she recognized the case would not be ordinary due to Sir Jeffrey’s prominent status. "I knew this would be a very public affair involving media. That's a huge, huge decision to make and one you don't make lightly," she said. She admitted to having "doubts" when she finally went to the police, adding, "I very nearly changed my mind, but I didn't."

Sir Jeffrey denies charges of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A, which are alleged to have occurred when she was a child between 1999 and 2008. The remaining charges, including the rape allegation, date back to 1985 and involve Complainant B, who was also a child at the time. Lady Donaldson faces five charges of aiding and abetting, which she denies. She has been deemed unfit for a standard trial under the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order; consequently, a trial of the facts is being conducted without her participation. The trial was paused on Friday afternoon and is scheduled to resume on Monday.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-29 14:43:51 UTC