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

Video recordings of police ABE interviews were shown to a jury in a sex abuse trial involving former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. The recordings were conducted three weeks before his March 2024 arrest. Complainant A described alleged encounters beginning from a young age, including comments about her breasts and multiple kissing incidents, one involving his tongue in her mouth that she said was not pleasant. She claimed he laughed it off as a joke. She also alleged he used a bright light to look at her private parts, causing her to feel frightened and becoming tearful during the interview. She further alleged he put his hands under her bra and rubbed her breasts.

"In them, Complainant A described a number of alleged encounters with him, including a kiss in which she claimed he put his tongue in her mouth. Known as ABE (achieving best evidence) interviews, they were conducted three weeks before his arrest in March 2024. Sir Jeffrey, 63, denies 18 charges against two alleged victims when they were children, including one count of rape. He is accused of eight offences against Complainant A, which allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2008. They are four counts of gross indecency and four counts of indecent assault."

"In the first of two ABE interviews shown, she began: "I, from quite a young age, was, I think, sexually abused by Jeffrey Donaldson." She claimed Sir Jeffrey had made comments about the size of her breasts. She also recalled him kissing her on occasions, including one five-second kiss "which really stood out". Complainant A stated: "He put his tongue in my mouth and moved it around before I was able to push him off. "The kiss was not a pleasant thing." She claimed he "laughed off" the incident as "just a joke"."

"In another alleged encounter, she claimed Sir Jeffrey had used a bright light, possibly a torch, to look at her private parts. She said the experience had made her feel "really frightened". At this point in the police interview she became tearful. She went on to claim that Sir Jeffrey had also put his hands under her bra and rubbed her breasts. Later, as an adult, she said she realised the incidents were abnormal."

"She described having to watch Sir Jeffrey receive "accolade after accolade" in public life. She described herself as having been sexually aware from a young age and getting nightmares "about men doing horrible things to child"

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