Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Denies Attending Armoy Meeting To 'Nip In The Bud' Abuse Claims

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has denied that he attended a late-1990s meeting with one of his alleged victims to 'nip in the bud' accusations against him, telling Newry Crown Court that he went to the meeting of his own accord and was not told it was about any formal complaint.

The 63-year-old former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is giving evidence on the second day of his trial at Newry Crown Court. He denies 18 historic sexual offence charges, including a charge of rape, which prosecutors say were committed between 1985 and 2008. The trial began three weeks ago.

Prosecution counsel Rosemary Walsh KC questioned Sir Jeffrey about a meeting in the late 1990s at the Christian Family Centre in Armoy that was arranged by centre founder Davey Hoy after Complainant B had reportedly told a pastor about alleged abuse.

'That's not true,' Sir Jeffrey replied when Ms Walsh suggested he had attended to 'nip in the bud' allegations. 'He didn't say "you need to get up to Armoy as there are serious issues to deal with." I was not worried about going. I went willingly.'

Complainant B has previously said Sir Jeffrey apologised to her at the meeting. Sir Jeffrey told jurors his apology, if given, was intended only to acknowledge that he may have made her feel 'uncomfortable' and that no formal allegations were raised during the discussion.

'If the suggestion is that what I was apologising for is that someone had said there were allegations, that is not the case,' he told the court. 'She had become a Christian and wanted to move forward... I responded to that.'

He described the meeting as short and said it ended with an embrace; it was attended by Davey Hoy and his wife, Linda. The court previously heard from the Hoys, with Linda Hoy saying Complainant B cried during the meeting when she said she forgave Sir Jeffrey.

Ms Walsh pressed Sir Jeffrey on why the complainant might have cried and suggested he had 'taken control' of the meeting by immediately asserting he knew 'what all this was about' and apologising. Sir Jeffrey denied those accounts, saying he did not 'march into that meeting' or claim to know the details.

The prosecution further questioned him about earlier disclosures by Complainant B to others, including the Hoys' daughter and a pastor. Sir Jeffrey said he was 'not aware' of some of those meetings and repeated his position that the allegations against him are 'untrue.'

Ms Walsh also put to Sir Jeffrey claims relating to Complainant A, including suggestions he had commented on her body, touched her, or shone a light at her genitals. He denied those assertions emphatically, telling the jury 'absolutely not' when asked whether he had touched her or 'looked at her genitals' in the manner alleged.

Sir Jeffrey also denied an account that Complainant A had once confronted him about the alleged abuse and that he had nodded in response. 'There is no situation where [Complainant A] sat me down and said, "Did you do this to me or that to me, or you sexually abuse me?" That did not happen,' he told jurors.

Sir Jeffrey faces allegations of gross indecency and indecent assault relating to Complainant A between 1999 and 2008, and further charges dating back to 1985 involving Complainant B, including a count of rape. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces five counts of allegedly aiding and abetting his offending but has been deemed unfit to participate in a conventional trial on mental health grounds; she will face a trial of the facts and is not taking part in the current proceedings.

The trial is ongoing at Newry Crown Court.