The BelTel

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has now been cross-examined by the prosecution in Newry Crown Court where he is on trial over 18 alleged offences. He has plead not guilty to charges including rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency. Both complainants alleged they were abused as children. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, from Dublinhill Road in Dromore, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. She is facing a trial of the facts on mental health grounds.

Allison Morris is covering the trial for the Belfast Telegraph.
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The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Noah Donohoe has now heard its 19th week of evidence. The inquest has now heard from mental health experts - one said it ‘feels like there is so much we don’t know about this case’. But the experts do agree that Noah is “unlikely to have died by suicide”. They also agreed that Jordan Peterson’s book ‘12 Rules For Life’ would have had an “influence” on Noah. The teenager’s body was found in a storm drain in June 2020 after being missing for six days.

Liam Tunney is covering the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph, he spoke to Olivia Peden.
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Jeffrey Donaldson has denied raping a seven-year-old child, under cross-examination, saying “it simply didn’t happen”. The former MP spent Thursday on the witness stand in Newry Crown Court. During the questioning, he admitted having an affair. Mr Donaldson is accused of rape and several counts of gross indecency and of indecent assault. The sixty-three-year-old has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

Allison Morris is covering the trial for the Belfast Telegraph.
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Violence sparked by a knife attack in Belfast continues. A Sudanese man has been charged over that incident. Twelve police officers have been injured as they confront rioters and attempts to target minorities. The PSNI deployed a water cannon in Newtownabbey as they were pelted with bricks. Meanwhile a health trusts says it is ‘horrified’ after a nurse ‘with different skin colour’ was chased into hospital by masked men.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Kevin Scott.
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Northern Ireland has seen serious race riots for the third year in a row. Masked men staged violent protests in number of areas, but the trouble was concentrated in the greater Belfast area, with homes set alight off the Crumlin Road and in east Belfast.

A Glider bus was set alight on the Newtownards Road and a police car was burned in Portadown.

The disorder followed an attempted murder involving a knife in north Belfast on Monday night.

A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged.

The Belfast Telegraph’s Visuals Editor Kevin Scott was on the ground in Belfast and Liam Tunney was in court.
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