Lady Donaldson 'did nothing about' alleged Sir Jeffrey sex abuse incident, court hears

A woman who has accused Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of sexually abusing her as a child has claimed in court that his wife was made aware of an alleged incident and "did nothing about it".

The woman, known as Complainant A, made the claim during her cross-examination by Lady Eleanor Donaldson's lawyer Ian Turkington KC.

Sir Jeffrey, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), denies 18 sex abuse charges, including one count of rape.

Lady Donaldson denies five charges related to aiding and abetting.

She faces a trial of the facts after she was previously deemed unfit to face a conventional trial on mental health grounds, and is therefore not participating in proceedings.

The jury at Newry Crown Court heard claims that Complainant A told Lady Donaldson about an alleged encounter with Sir Jeffrey, in which she said he had been acting strangely and looking at her.

Lady Donaldson's barrister said his client had "raised the matter" with Sir Jeffrey.

Complainant A claimed she told Lady Donaldson about the alleged incident.

"I knew by the look on her face she knew I was telling the truth," she said.

"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."

Lady Donaldson's barrister put it to the complainant that Lady Donaldson did ask Sir Jeffrey about the alleged incident.

Previously, the court heard the incident allegedly involved Sir Jeffrey shining a bright light, possibly a torch, on her private parts.

Complainant A claimed she also informed Lady Donaldson of a separate alleged incident in which she said Sir Jeffrey kissed her.

She said she told Lady Donaldson that Sir Jeffrey had "put his tongue in my mouth" and "moved his tongue around my mouth".

The complainant said the matter was "laughed off" by both the defendants as "just a joke".

"I can guarantee you I was not laughing at all," the complainant said.

Turkington also questioned her about why she had not mentioned during police interviews all of the counselling she had received after the alleged abuse.

Complainant A said she had forgotten to mention some of it, but had nothing to hide.

The lawyer then referred to notes made by a counsellor following a session with Complainant A, where he had recorded her memory being "really poor, very bad".

Complainant A said: "I think it is unfair to say really bad… his notes are his interpretation."

Turkington also noted Complainant A's use of the words "really foggy" in her police interviews, relating to her memories of the dates of the alleged abuse.

She said: "Many people know with abuse there is an issue with memory.

"I have been very transparent.

"I have tried to remember these events and convey them to the best of my ability."

Later, during her evidence, she added: "I'm here to tell the truth and I am telling the truth."

Sir Jeffrey denies acts of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A when she was a child, between 1999 and 2008.

Other alleged offences, dating back to 1985, including a charge of rape, relate to a second woman, Complainant B, when she was also a child.

Complainant A completed her evidence on Monday afternoon.

Complainant B is due to begin testifying on Tuesday morning.

The jury will be shown a video recording of her police interview from March 2024.

The trial continues.