Jeffrey Donaldson trial hears alleged sexual abuse victim tell police of nightmares

An alleged victim of sexual abuse by Jeffrey Donaldson had nightmares about men doing “horrible things to children” and was left “feeling dirty for a long time”, a Northern Ireland court has heard. The complainant made the allegations in a police interview played to the jury in the trial of the former MP and Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader, who is charged with sexual offences. The jury at Newry crown court in County Down also heard that Donaldson wrote to the alleged victim in 2020 expressing “regret” for “all the hurt, pain and distress I have caused” and seeking forgiveness. Donaldson, 63, faces 18 charges, including one count of rape, which span from 1985 to 2008 and involve two alleged victims. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, is charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault. Both deny all the charges. The jury of five women and seven men was shown the interview that the complainant, known as Witness A, gave to police in March 2024 weeks before Donaldson was arrested, triggering his exit from politics and upheaval at Stormont. In the interview, the complainant said she was of primary school age when Donaldson began to be “physical” with her and put his hands up her top. She recalled waking up in the night on several occasions with a sexual feeling and having nightmares about “men doing horrible things to children”. …