The former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sent for trial on sex offence charges.
Mr Donaldson (61) and his wife Eleanor Donaldson (58), both with an address in Dromore, Co Down, appeared at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for a preliminary enquiry (PE).
Mr Donaldson faces 18 charges – one count of rape, four of gross indecency with or towards a child and 13 of indecent assault on a female on dates between 1985 and 2008.
Mrs Donaldson faces five charges – abetting rape, cruelty to a person under 16 years old, and three counts of aiding and abetting indecent assault on dates between 1987 and 2008.
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A PE is held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send a case to the Crown Court for trial.
The judge said he was satisfied there was a prima facie case to answer and adjourned the case to Newry Crown Court for arraignment on September 10th.
On that date Mr and Mrs Donaldson will be required to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges.
During the brief hearing on Wednesday Mr Donaldson, wearing a blue suit, and his wife, wearing a cream jacket, stood in the dock flanked by custody officers.
They were asked to confirm their names and dates of birth and the charges were read to each of them in turn.
A solicitor for the prosecution told the court that on the basis of the papers there was a prima facie case established.
Solicitors for the defendants said there were no contrary submissions at this stage.
Mr and Mrs Donaldson confirmed they were aware of the charges against them.
Asked if they wished to say anything in answer to the charges, and if they wished to tender a written statement of evidence, Mr Donaldson replied “not at this stage” and Mrs Donaldson replied “no”.
The defendants were released on their existing bail conditions, to return to court for arraignment.
At his first court appearance in April Mr Donaldson was faced with 11 charges – rape, gross indecency with or towards a child, and nine counts of indecent assault on a female – on dates between 1985 and 2006.
As is common practice, the evidence file was subsequently reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) and the number of charges has increased to 18, with the original holding charges withdrawn in court on Wednesday.
The number of charges facing Mrs Donaldson increased from four to five.
Mr Donaldson has previously indicated he intends to strenuously contest the charges.
One of Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures, Mr Donaldson has been the MP for Lagan Valley since 1997.
Then a member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), he opposed then-leader David Trimble’s support for the Belfast Agreement, leaving for the rival Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 2004.
He became leader of the DUP in June 2021 and presided over the party’s campaign against post-Brexit trading arrangements, taking his party out of the Northern Executive – leading to two years of political stalemate in Northern Ireland – then back in again earlier this year, permitting the restoration of the North’s political institutions.
He stood down as leader of the DUP when he was charged with sexual offences and is not standing for re-election in the UK general election, which takes place on Thursday.
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