Donaldson letter to sex abuse accuser had 'nothing to do with allegations', court hears

A missive written by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to a pistillate who has accused him of enactment maltreatment had thing to bash with her allegations against him, Newry Crown Court has heard.

The assertion was made by Kieran Vaughan KC, the erstwhile Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader's lawyer.

Vaughan has been continuing to cross-examine 1 of Sir Jeffrey's 2 alleged victims, known arsenic Complainant A.

He is connected proceedings for 18 enactment maltreatment charges, including 1 number of rape. Sir Jeffrey denies each the offences.

Sir Jeffrey wrote her a missive successful June 2020, which was work retired successful tribunal connected Thursday, successful which helium expressed "regret" for the "hurt, symptom and distress" helium had caused.

Complainant A antecedently told the tribunal she thought the missive was an effort by him "to apologise for possibly the maltreatment which had occurred".

However, Vaughan said that is not the "proper context".

The lawyer besides claimed that Complainant A had not made the constabulary alert of the discourse erstwhile she gave them the missive aft they interviewed her successful March 2024.

Vaughan enactment it to her: "This has thing to bash with you and intersexual assault."

He stated Sir Jeffrey was apologising for different "behaviour".

Complainant A said she believed the missive was "an apology for what helium did to me".

"He would ne'er constitute retired what helium has done successful a missive but helium could heavy suggest and hint that helium was atrocious for it.

"In his ain way, he's utilizing that missive arsenic a signifier of apology but it's not an apology.

"You tin admit that you person sinned. There's nary item of what that misdeed was."

She said that was "not enough".

Vaughan aboriginal referred to assorted communications betwixt Complainant A and Sir Jeffrey which, helium suggested, showed a "friendly banter" astatine variance with the maltreatment allegations.

Complainant A besides rejected the lawyer's claims that the alleged intersexual maltreatment incidents ne'er happened.

She alleges that successful 3 incidents, the 63-year-old rubbed her breasts, kissed her inappropriately and shone a light, perchance a torch, connected her genital area.

Complainant A alleged that the erstwhile DUP leader's wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, had witnessed the incidental erstwhile helium had rubbed her thorax with his manus nether her clothing, but did not intervene.

"The facts are the facts and I'm sticking to those," she said.

Sir Jeffrey denies acts of gross indecency and indecent battle against her erstwhile she was a child, betwixt 1999 and 2008.

Other alleged offences, dating backmost to 1985, including a complaint of rape, subordinate to a 2nd woman, Complainant B, erstwhile she was besides a child.

Lady Donaldson faces 5 related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied.

She has been recovered unfit for a accepted proceedings nether the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order.

Instead, a proceedings of the facts is being held successful which she volition not participate.

The proceedings was adjourned connected Friday day and volition resume connected Monday.