Donaldson sex abuse trial jury asked to recall visible 'pain and hurt' of accusers

The jury in the trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been asked to recall the "pain and hurt still so visible" on the two women who have accused him of sexually abusing them when they were children.

In her closing speech, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC described "the long and arduous process" the women, known as Complainant A and B, had experienced after making their allegations.

"This is no walk in the park. This is not something they are doing for the fun of it or the sake of it," she told the jury.

Sir Jeffrey has pleaded not guilty to 18 sex abuse charges, including one count of rape, allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008.

The jury is also being asked to consider findings against his wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, in a trial of the facts. She denies five related charges of aiding and abetting.

Walsh told the jury it was human nature to "box" or "shelve" feelings away – and that was what Complainant A and B had done over the years.

However, she said there had been "turning points" in both women's lives that prompted them to finally report their allegations to the police in March 2024.

"Today you see two women at a time when they are ready for this, but they've not always been that way," Walsh said.

The barrister told the jury that Complainant A knew "this would not be a normal case" because of who Sir Jeffrey was.

"She had to grapple with all the connotations that came with that," Walsh said.

"It was a huge, huge decision to make and not one she made lightly."

Walsh described how Complainant B had blamed herself for Complainant A's alleged abuse because she had not made her allegations sooner.

She said despite Complainant B having previously told a number of people - including a Christian pastor, the founders of a Christian centre, and a friend - that she had been abused as a child, she did not set out "the gory details" because "no one asked her".

"The topic remained untouched, the hornets' nest avoided," she said.

Later in her closing speech, Walsh referred to a meeting that took place in the Christian Family Centre in Armoy, County Antrim, in the 1990s.

The meeting was attended by Complainant B, Sir Jeffrey and the founders of the centre, Davey and Linda Hoy. It had been arranged after the complainant told a pastor about the alleged abuse.

The trial previously heard that Sir Jeffrey had apologised to the complainant during the meeting.

However, he said the apology was not for any alleged offences. He said no allegations had been raised, and that he had said sorry for if he had ever made Complainant B feel "uncomfortable".

In her closing speech, Walsh told the jury that the meeting was "significant" for a number of reasons.

She said it supported Complainant B's account of what is alleged to have happened to her, and that it showed Sir Jeffrey's was "willing to lie and shift his account".

Walsh also referred to a letter written by Sir Jeffrey to Complainant A, the younger of the two alleged victims, in which he referred to being in "a deep pit of sin".

It also referenced his "sinful nature" and the "deep wounds" that he had caused.

The trial previously heard from Sir Jeffrey that the letter had nothing to do with Complainant A's allegations.

But Walsh, in her closing speech, said the reference to causing Complainant A "deep wounds" was "highly significant".

Sir Jeffrey denies acts of gross indecency and indecent assault against Complainant A when she was a child, between 1999 and 2008.

He also denies other alleged offences dating back to 1985, including a charge of rape, against Complainant B.

Lady Donaldson is facing a trial of the facts after she was previously deemed unfit to face a conventional trial on mental health grounds, and is therefore not participating in proceedings.

The trial continues.