Jeffrey Donaldson’s wife denied witnessing him touch the breasts of one of the Complainants in a police interview ahead of his trial for historic sexual offences.
The former MP and DUP leader is on trial at Newry Crown Court for 18 offences, allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008. He denies all charges against him.
His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, has denied five charges of aiding and abetting his alleged offending.
However, her poor mental health means she has been ruled unfit to stand trial for the offences.
Instead, she faces a trial of facts, which cannot result in a custodial sentence.
On Newstalk Breakfast, reporter Jamie O’Hara said court proceedings yesterday focused on the nature of her marriage to Mr Donaldson.
The jury heard around four hours of police interviews with Ms Donaldson and it took up most of the day.
“Straight away in that police interview, she's asked if she's guilty of the offences for which she has been arrested and she says, ‘No,’” Mr O’Hara described.
“She told police that at one stage she had put a listening device into her husband's car and she had eventually confronted him about what she told police was him speaking to a lady on the phone, what she called flirtatious conversations.
“She said he had initially denied it and gave all sorts of excuses.
“But she eventually played the audio from the listening device to him and she said he put his hands up and said, ‘Right, that's that’.”
Eleanor Donaldson arrives at Newry Crown Court in 2025. Picture by: Alamy.com.The jury then heard Ms Donaldson talk about the importance of grace and mercy towards people.
She was also questioned about an allegation made by Complainant B to police, that Ms Donaldson had walked into a room and saw her husband touching her chest.
It was alleged that she then walked back out of the room and closed the door.
“Ms Donaldson denied this was the case and said she didn't see that allegation of touching,” Mr O’Hara said.
“She doesn't know whether she closed the door or left it ajar, but she does remember walking away from the door.
“She said also that both people, Jeffrey Donaldson and that complainant, were both fully dressed.”
The trial continues.
Main image: Eleanor Donaldson in 2024. Picture by: Alamy.com.
