Overview
- A jury was sworn in and the prosecution opened its case on Wednesday, May 27, starting a trial expected to run for several weeks at Newry Crown Court.
- Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 historical sexual‑offence charges, including one count of rape, brought by two women alleging abuse between 1985 and 2008.
- Prosecutors outlined specific alleged incidents and said parts of the complainants’ accounts will be heard via pre‑recorded interviews; police interviews with Donaldson, recorded after his March 2024 arrest, show he denied the accusations.
- Lady Eleanor Donaldson has been ruled unfit to stand a criminal trial and will face a trial of the facts, a process that can find whether acts occurred but cannot result in a criminal conviction or prison sentence and may lead to medical or supervision orders.
- The case has ongoing political fallout after Donaldson’s 2024 resignation and suspension from the DUP, and authorities have warned that identifying complainants or posting prejudicial social media material could breach lifetime anonymity protections and risk contempt of court.