Alleged rape of girl ‘simply not true’, Jeffrey Donaldson tells trial

Jeffrey Donaldson is “crystal clear” that an allegation he raped a girl several years ago is “simply not true”, the former Democratic Unionist party leader has told a court.

Giving evidence in the third week of his trial on sexual abuse charges, the ex-MP said an allegation that he had touched the same girl’s breasts was “just unbelievable”.

Called to give evidence by his defence barrister, Kieran Vaughan KC, Donaldson at times became emotional during his testimony at Newry crown court.

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 time period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

Known as witnesses A and B, the trial has heard evidence from both women alleging they were abused as children.

Eleanor Donaldson, 60, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending and has been judged unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. Instead she faces a trial of the facts, which tests the evidence but cannot result in a criminal conviction.

Donaldson told the jury he had developed an interest in politics at 18 and was elected to the Northern Ireland assembly at 22. He said he was elected to parliament in 1997 and had been involved in negotiations before the signing of the Good Friday agreement in 1998.

Asked by his lawyer if he accepted any of the allegations made by the two complainants, he said: “No”.

The court has previously heard evidence about a letter Donaldson wrote to witness A in June 2020, in which he told of his “regret” over the “hurt, pain and distress I have caused”. The defence has told the court the letter does not relate to any alleged abuse, but is about another matter.

Donaldson read extracts of the letter to the court on Thursday. Asked if it referred to incidents of abuse, he replied: “Absolutely not.” He added: “This is not the reason why this letter was written.”

Questioned about allegations by witness B that she was raped by Donaldson, he told the court: “It just didn’t happen. I am absolutely crystal clear about that. It is not something I would ever have done. It is just simply not true.”

Rejecting any suggestions that his wife had witnessed the abuse but did not intervene, he said: “She would have been very angry, she would have intervened immediately.”