Jury in Donaldson trial hears victim claim she was abused from 'quite a young age'

The assemblage proceeding the enactment maltreatment proceedings of erstwhile Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) person Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been shown video recordings of constabulary interviews with 1 of his alleged victims.

In them, Complainant A described a fig of alleged encounters with him, including a buss successful which she claimed helium enactment his lingua successful her mouth.

Known arsenic ABE (achieving champion evidence) interviews, they were conducted 3 weeks earlier his apprehension successful March 2024.

Sir Jeffrey, 63, denies 18 charges against 2 alleged victims erstwhile they were children, including 1 number of rape.

He is accused of 8 offences against Complainant A, which allegedly occurred betwixt 1999 and 2008.

They are 4 counts of gross indecency and 4 counts of indecent assault.

In the archetypal of 2 ABE interviews shown, she began: "I, from rather a young age, was, I think, sexually abused by Jeffrey Donaldson."

She claimed Sir Jeffrey had made comments astir the size of her breasts.

She besides recalled him kissing her connected occasions, including 1 five-second buss "which truly stood out".

Complainant A stated: "He enactment his lingua successful my rima and moved it astir earlier I was capable to propulsion him off.

"The buss was not a pleasant thing."

She claimed helium "laughed off" the incidental arsenic "just a joke".

In different alleged encounter, she claimed Sir Jeffrey had utilized a agleam light, perchance a torch, to look astatine her backstage parts.

She said the acquisition had made her consciousness "really frightened".

At this constituent successful the constabulary interrogation she became tearful.

She went connected to assertion that Sir Jeffrey had besides enactment his hands nether her bra and rubbed her breasts.

Later, arsenic an adult, she said she realised the incidents were abnormal.

She described having to ticker Sir Jeffrey person "accolade aft accolade" successful nationalist life.

She described herself arsenic having been sexually alert from a young property and getting nightmares "about men doing horrible things to children".

In big life, Complainant A claimed that she confronted Sir Jeffrey.

"I said: 'Can you corroborate this happened to me?'

"He didn't accidental anything. He conscionable nodded his caput and looked astatine the floor.

"He couldn't look astatine me. There was a silence."

The Donaldsons were arrested successful their County Down location and charged connected 28 March 2024.

He resigned arsenic DUP person the adjacent time and did not contention his Lagan Valley spot successful the wide predetermination 4 months later.

In total, helium is accused of rape, 4 counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault.

His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, faces a proceedings of the facts connected 5 related charges of aiding and abetting, which she has denied.

Lady Donaldson volition look a proceedings of the facts aft being recovered unfit for a accepted proceedings nether the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order.

Under a proceedings of the facts, she volition not enactment successful proceedings.