Pain and hurt of Jeffrey Donaldson's alleged victims 'still so visible', barrister claims

Jeffrey Donaldson arriving at Newry Crown Court, where he and his wife Eleanor Donaldson are accused of historical sexual offences. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

The “pain and hurt” of two women allegedly abused by Jeffrey Donaldson
is “still so visible”, a court has heard.

Closing speeches have begun in the sexual offences trial of the former DUP leader at Newry Crown Court.

Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC said the trial had been a “long and arduous” process for the two women who allege abuse.

Donaldson, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

Complainants A and B have both given evidence at the trial.

Both women allege they were abused as children.

Jeffrey Donaldson spent two days in the witness box giving evidence in the trial last week.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 60, 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 on mental health grounds.

Beginning her closing submissions to the jury, Ms Walsh said they would have a “good understanding of what the evidence is in this case”.

She said it was human nature for people to sometimes “lock away” thoughts.

The barrister said Complainant A had spent years “shelving and avoiding dealing” with alleged abuse, while Complainant B “kept those memories locked away inside”.

But she said there had been “turning points” for both women which made them come forward and report the alleged abuse to police.

She said: “Issues which had been shelved and locked away surfaced, demanding to be seen and demanding to be dealt with.” 

Turning to the issue of why A had not reported the alleged abuse before 2024, Ms Walsh said: “This is a woman who has really, properly considered whether she should put her head above the parapet.

“She knew this would not just be a normal case. It was a huge, huge decision to make and not one she made lightly.” 

She said Complainant B had “blamed herself” for the alleged abuse.

Ms Walsh said both women had gone to police in 2024.

She said: “Yes, two voices are better than one… this process is difficult.” She said it had been a “long and arduous process” which had culminated in several hours of questioning in court.

The barrister said: “Their pain and hurt is still so visible. This is not something they are doing for the fun of it.” 

Ms Walsh said: “Today, you see two women at a time when they are ready for this… they have not always been that way.” The barrister said neither woman has a “full or complete recollection” of the alleged abuse, stating some memories are “fragmentary”.

But she told the jury that is the way memory of childhood events can work.

She said both alleged victims remember “distinctive incidents”.

The barrister referred to a meeting Complainant B had with Donaldson while staying at a Christian centre in Armoy in Co Antrim in the 1990s.

Ms Walsh said it was clear “reconciliation at that stage was the purpose of the meeting”.

She said: “No-one asked this girl exactly what the abuse was she had referred to. The topic remained untouched, the hornet’s nest avoided.” 

Referring to an incident in which Complainant A alleges Donaldson had used a light to look at her genitals, the barrister said Eleanor Donaldson had been told but that the incident was “brushed under the carpet”.

She said years later, Complainant A had told her husband about the alleged abuse to give him the “option of walking away” from the relationship if he chose to.

She said: “It underlines this is not something that has been fabricated on a whim.” 

Ms Walsh told the jury they had watched police interviews with both of the alleged victims.

She said: “You are the people that have to assess if you are sure that they are telling the truth.” 

Referring to an incident where Complainant B alleges she was raped by Donaldson, Ms Walsh said: “She recalls the breathing, laboured and panting and the hope he would stop and lose interest.” 

Recounting an alleged incident where B claimed Donaldson lifted her top and played with her breasts, she said: “In the dark, he treats her like the object she is to him.” 

The case continues.