Woman who claims Jeffrey Donaldson abused her denies she is ‘making up’ claims
By Jonathan McCambridge, Press Association
A woman who claims she was abused by Jeffrey Donaldson as a child has rejected suggestions she is “making up” the allegations.
Complainant A has concluded giving her evidence at the sexual offences trial for the former DUP leader and his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, at Newry Crown Court.
Ex-MP Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.
The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.
Eleanor Donaldson, 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.
Complainant A, one of the two alleged victims, was giving evidence for a third day to the jury of seven men and five women at Newry Crown Court.
Jeffrey Donaldson sat in the dock at the rear of the courtroom, wearing a dark-blue suit and taking occasional notes.
Complainant A was cross-examined on Monday by Ian Turkington, barrister for Eleanor Donaldson.
The barrister questioned her about why she had not mentioned during her police interviews in 2024 all of the counselling sessions she had received following the alleged abuse.
The witness said she had “nothing to hide” and had forgotten to mention some of the counselling.
Turkington referred to Complainant A’s use of the words “really foggy” in her police interview, relating to her memories of some of the alleged abuse.
She said: “Many people know with childhood abuse there is an issue with memory.
“I have tried to remember these events and convey them to the best of my ability.”
The barrister referred to notes made by a counsellor following a session with Complainant A, where he had recorded: “Memory really poor, very bad.”
He said: “Which of those five words words would you not use?”
She said: “I think it is unfair to say really bad… his notes are his interpretation.”
The barrister then referred to a specific allegation made by Complainant A.
Complainant A said she had raised some details of this alleged incident with Eleanor Donaldson following the incident, telling her that Jeffrey Donaldson had been acting strangely and looking at her.
The trial had earlier heard that the incident allegedly involved Jeffrey Donaldson using a light to look at the complainant’s “private parts”.
The witness said: “I knew by the look on her face, she knew I was telling the truth.
“Why would I make something like that up? I had no motive.
“Once she identified I was telling the truth, she did nothing about it.”
The barrister then turned to an allegation made by the complainant that Jeffrey Donaldson had kissed her and put his tongue in her mouth.
Complainant A said this had happened on several occasions but that there was one incident she had a “clear recollection of”.
She said she had told Eleanor Donaldson about the incident and that it was “laughed off”.
She said: “That does not mean it was laughed off by me… I can absolutely guarantee you I was not laughing at all.”
The barrister asked: “Are you making this up as you go along?”
She responded: “Absolutely not, I find it absolutely ridiculous that you infer that.”
The barrister then referred to an incident where she alleges Jeffrey Donaldson rubbed her chest with his hand under her clothing.
The court previously heard a claim from the complainant that Eleanor Donaldson had witnessed the incident but did not intervene.
Pressing her on the details of the alleged incident, the barrister said she was “spectacularly backtracking” in her evidence.
He said: “You are making this up as you go along.”
She said: “That is your assumption… I am here to tell the truth.”
Complainant A concluded giving her evidence to the trial on Monday afternoon.
The trial continues on Tuesday, when Complainant B, the second alleged victim, is expected to give evidence.
Jeffrey Donaldson, a former long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, was arrested and charged at the end of March 2024.
He resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations emerged.
Weeks before his arrest, he had led the DUP back into devolved government at Stormont after a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.
