Ex-DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to face trial over 18 sex offence allegations
Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will go to court to answer accusations of committing 18 sexual offenses in the past.
At Newry Magistrates' Court, District Judge Eamonn King stated that he believed there was enough evidence for Donaldson, 61, and his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, 58, to stand trial after a preliminary hearing.
They will be present at Newry Crown Court on 10 September for a preliminary hearing before their trial.
Donaldson is accused of committing one rape, four acts of gross indecency, and 13 incidents of indecent assault.
His spouse is being accused of helping and supporting in relation to the alleged crimes.
The crimes are said to have happened between 1985 and 2006 and involve two potential victims.
Donaldson has stated that he plans to challenge the accusations made against him.
The politician from Northern Ireland was originally accused of 11 sex crimes in April but on Tuesday that number went up to 18. In addition, his wife's charges went from four to five after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) looked over the evidence from the police, which is standard procedure.
Many police officers were seen as the former leader of the DUP, who was dressed in a smart manner, arrived at court.
There were a lot of police officers outside the courthouse, and they had put up barriers to make sure that there wouldn't be any protests like there were when the Donaldsons were first in court in April.
Donaldson was wearing a navy suit and a green tie, and he showed off his new beard.
His spouse was wearing a stylish cream-colored outfit and had recently trimmed her hair.
They briefly stood up to verify their names, dates of birth, and to acknowledge that they comprehended the charges.
The couple were divided in the courtroom by prison employees.
A lawyer representing the Public Prosecution Service said they thought there was enough evidence to move forward with a case.
The defense attorneys for both of the defendants did not present any opposing arguments at this point.
When questioned if they had any thoughts to share, Donaldson responded: "Not at the moment."
His spouse responded with a negative answer.
Donaldson, the MP who served the longest in Northern Ireland, stepped down as DUP leader after being charged on March 28th following a day of being questioned.
His party suspended him, so he became an independent MP until the election was called in May. He has decided not to run for re-election as the Lagan Valley MP, a position he held for 27 years.
He sent a letter to the party stating that he will strongly argue against the charges.
Donaldson was honored with a knighthood in 2016 for his contributions to the field of politics.
He played a key role in negotiating the DUP's £1bn agreement with Theresa May's minority Conservative government during the period when the party had significant influence in Westminster from 2017 to 2019.
Recently, he made a concession and guided his party to rejoin the government at Stormont, after refusing to participate for two years due to disagreements over post-Brexit trading agreements.
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