Jury in Sir Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial to continue deliberations on Friday

The jury in the sex abuse trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson have not yet reached a verdict and will continue their deliberations on Friday morning. The seven men and five women were sent out by Judge Paul Ramsey to begin their deliberations at about 13:20 BST on Thursday, after he spent two hours summing up the case. Sir Jeffrey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including one count of rape, arising from allegations he sexually abused two women when they were children. The offences allegedly occurred between 1985 and 2008. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies five charges of aiding and abetting his alleged offending. At a pre-trial hearing last month, she was declared unfit for a conventional trial on mental health grounds and is instead undergoing a trial of the facts in her absence—meaning the jury will decide if she committed the acts alleged, but it cannot result in a criminal conviction. The trial at Newry Crown Court is in its fourth week. Judge Ramsey told jurors they must be satisfied that the prosecution had proven the case against Sir Jeffrey beyond reasonable doubt before they could convict. The alleged victims, Complainants A and B, have both given evidence, and Sir Jeffrey testified over two days. Wearing a dark suit and a pink tie, he sat in the dock with his arms folded while the judge delivered his remarks. The Donaldsons were arrested at their County Down home and charged on 28 March 2024.