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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has appeared in court docket after being charged with historic intercourse offences together with rape.
The previous DUP chief appeared within the dock alongside his spouse of 36 years, Woman Eleanor Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, who’s accused of aiding him with rape.
Amid a heightened safety presence, the veteran politician, 61, spoke solely to verify his identify and date of start inside a packed courtroom at Newry Magistrates’ Courtroom this morning.
Donaldson faces 11 fees, relating to 2 victims, spanning over a 20-year interval ending in 2006.
They embody one depend of rape, one depend of gross indecency in direction of a baby and 9 counts of indecent assault on a feminine.
The court docket heard how Donaldson, on a date between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 1991, ‘had illegal sexual activity’ with the alleged sufferer.
Former DUP chief Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has arrived at court docket this morning charged with rape and different historic intercourse offences. He’s pictured exterior of court docket
The previous DUP chief appeared within the dock alongside his spouse of 36 years, Woman Eleanor Mary Elizabeth Donaldson (pictured), who’s accused of aiding him with rape.
Sir Jeffrey is pictured within the media scrum as he arrives at court docket, flanked by cops
One other cost alleges Donaldson ‘dedicated an act of gross indecency in direction of a baby’ on a date between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006.
His spouse Eleanor Donaldson, 58, is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting in addition to extra offences.
The 4 allegations going through Eleanor Donaldson span dates from January 1985 to December 2004.
Amid a heightened safety presence, the pair arrived individually however shared the dock collectively at some stage in the eight-minute listening to, separated by a jail officer.
Donaldson remained silent as weaved his manner by way of a media scrum carrying a gray swimsuit and inexperienced tie arriving at Newry Courthouse shortly after 9.30 am.
The pair spoke solely to verify their identify and date of start to District Decide Eamonn King, who learn out the fees.
The pair have been launched on persevering with bail with a change in situations permitting them to speak with one another.
However there have been chaotic scenes as Sir Jeffrey left Newry Courthouse.
Some members of the general public shouted abuse and tried to lunge in direction of him as he left the constructing.
The police surrounded Sir Jeffrey who briefly re-entered the court docket constructing earlier than leaving a second time and departing in a automobile.
Members of the press are pictured gathered exterior Newry Magistrates’ Courtroom the place Sir Jeffrey’s court docket listening to was happening
The 61-year-old politician, who’s Northern Eire ‘s longest-serving MP, was arrested and charged in relation to historic sexual allegations on the finish of March
Donaldson was suspended from the DUP pending the result of the judicial course of, and East Belfast MP and deputy chief Gavin Robinson has been appointed interim occasion chief.
His membership of the Grand Orange Lodge of Eire has additionally been suspended.
Rumours about Sir Jeffrey’s political future started swirling in a single day when Donaldson’s web site and social media accounts, together with X, Fb and Instagram, have been deleted.
The shock court docket look comes simply weeks after Sir Jeffrey made the choice to return the occasion to powersharing in Northern Eire.
Sir Jeffrey’s management noticed him steer the occasion’s two-year boycott of Northern Eire’s political establishments, in protest at post-Brexit buying and selling preparations.
After protracted negotiations, the DUP agreed to return to Stormont in February after the settlement of a brand new deal and a collection of assurances round Northern Eire’s constitutional place inside the UK.
Sir Jeffrey, who has had an virtually 40-year profession in politics, grew to become DUP chief in July 2021.
His profession began with the Ulster Unionist Social gathering (UUP) and in 1985, aged 22, he was the youngest individual to be elected to the Northern Eire Meeting.
His relationship with former UUP chief David Trimble deteriorated when he led a walkout of the 1998 peace talks, after opposing the early launch of republican and loyalist prisoners.
He left the occasion and joined the DUP in January 2004.
He was recognised by the Queen in her 2016 Birthday Honours and was given a knighthood.
It’s understood that in a letter to occasion officers, he made clear he could be ‘strenuously contesting’ all fees in opposition to him (pictured are the media exterior of court docket as we speak)
Gavin Robinson has taken cost of the DUP because the occasion’s interim chief following Sir Jeffrey’s resignation (Mr Robinson is pictured on April 4, 2024)
Throughout his time within the DUP he helped to dealer the occasion’s £1bn confidence and provide take care of Theresa Might’s minority Conservative authorities, when the Tories held the steadiness of energy at Westminster between 2017 and 2019.
East Belfast MP and deputy chief Gavin Robinson has been appointed interim occasion chief.
