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Jeffrey Donaldson’s letter to alleged victim had ‘nothing to do’ with abuse claims, trial hears

The Guardian UK Friday 29 May 2026, 17:01 UTC By Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent 1 min read
Key Points

Title: Jeffrey Donaldson's Letter to Alleged Victim Unrelated to Abuse Claims, Trial Hears Former DUP leader's barrister stated that the woman mistakenly linked the letter to his alleged sex offences. Jeffrey Donaldson expressed regret for causing "hurt, pain, and distress" in a letter to the alleged victim, but the court heard that his comments were not related to the allegations of sexual abuse. The lawyer for the former MP and Democratic Unionist party leader emphasized that the letter had "nothing to do" with the accusations and referred to other behavior.

Former DUP leader’s barrister said the woman was mistaken in linking the letter to his alleged sex offences

Jeffrey Donaldson told a woman who has accused him of sexual assault that he regretted inflicting “hurt, pain and distress” but his comments were not related to the allegations, a court has heard.

A lawyer for the former MP and Democratic Unionist party leader told Newry crown court on Friday that Donaldson’s letter to the alleged victim had “nothing to do” with her accusations of sexual abuse and referred to other behaviour.

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Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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