BELFAST, May 20 – A Belfast court ruled Wednesday that Eleanor Donaldson, spouse of ex-Northern Ireland political figure Jeffrey Donaldson, cannot proceed to trial on charges connected to historical sexual offenses due to her medical condition.
Her husband, the former Democratic Unionist Party leader, is scheduled to face trial next week on charges including one rape count, 13 indecent assault counts involving a female minor, and four gross indecency counts toward a child. Jeffrey Donaldson has entered not guilty pleas to all charges.
The joint trial proceedings for both Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldson have been postponed for over a year because of Eleanor’s health problems. Her charges include allegations of aiding and abetting rape.
Following testimony from medical experts Wednesday, Judge Paul Ramsey determined Eleanor Donaldson was medically unfit to participate in standard trial proceedings.
Instead, Eleanor will undergo what’s called a trial of the facts, a process where jurors determine whether the defendant performed the alleged acts, rather than rendering a traditional guilty or not guilty verdict.
Jeffrey Donaldson, formerly among Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures, abruptly resigned from his leadership position of the region’s biggest pro-British unionist party in March 2024. His departure came after the DUP announced he faced charges involving historical allegations.
