The BelTel

A jury has heard a police interview recording of a woman who claims she was raped as a child by Jeffrey Donaldson. Jurors at Newry Crown Court heard allegations against the former DUP leader by a woman who claims it happened when she was at primary school.

She also alleged that Donaldson arranged for her to be sent to a Christian Rehabilitation Centre and apologised to her there.
Sixty-three-year-old Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences said to have taken place between 1985 and 2008 involving two complainants known as Witness A and B.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson faces a trial of the facts on aiding and abetting allegations after the trial judge ruled her medically unfit to stand trial.

Allison Morris is covering the trial for the Belfast Telegraph.

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Eleanor Donaldson “did nothing” when told of an allegation of abuse by her husband, Jeffrey Donaldson, a court has heard.
The claim from one of the alleged victims came during week two of the former DUP leader’s trial.
63-year-old Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency.

Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

The 60-year-old is facing a trial of the facts, not a criminal trial, after judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

Allison Morris was in court for day four of evidence.
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Sixty years after being jailed with Ian Paisley, a veteran Free Presbyterian minister is daring his clerical colleagues to expel him. Now, the Rev Ivan Foster – himself a former DUP Assemblyman – is facing discipline for criticising Free Presbyterian ministers. A second cleric, the Rev David Linden, is also facing disciplinary measures. 83-year-old Rev Foster has publicly accused the church of breaking its own rules.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride.
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Jeffrey Donaldson’s wife planted a listening device in his car after becoming suspicious he was having affair with a constituent, a court in Newry has been told. The 63-year-old former MP in on trial in relation to 18 alleged historical sex offence charges, dating from 1985 to 2008 – including a charge of rape. He denies all of the charges against him.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore in Co Down, is charged with aiding and abetting. She denies the charges. She will not be in court and is facing a trial of the facts as she has been ruled medically unfit to stand trial.

Allison Morris was in court.
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The inquest into the death of Noah Donohoe has been hearing its 17th week of evidence. This week the inquest heard a police constable say investigating the culvert in which the teenager's body was found was “not a priority” during the first few days of the search. The jury also heard an engineer say it was ‘Extremely unlikely’ Noah entered the watercourse from anywhere but culvert entrance at Premier Drive.

Liam Tunney is the Belfast Telegraph’s chief reporter on the inquest.
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