Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial jury to resume deliberations Friday
The jury in the sex abuse trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will return on Friday to continue deliberations after failing to reach verdicts on Thursday, as the case against the former Democratic Unionist Party leader enters a critical phase.
Where the trial stands
Donaldson, 61, faces 18 charges in total, including one count of rape. He has denied every single allegation. The jury at Laganside Crown Court in Belfast was sent out to consider its verdicts earlier this week, but after hours of deliberation, a decision had not been reached by the time proceedings wrapped up on Thursday afternoon.
The charges span alleged offences said to have taken place over a number of years. Donaldson resigned as DUP leader in March 2024 — just hours before the charges against him were made public. That timing sent shockwaves through Northern Ireland’s political establishment and left the party scrambling to manage an extraordinary crisis.
A political career cut short
Donaldson had been one of the most recognisable faces in unionist politics for decades. He served as MP for Lagan Valley and was widely seen as a steady hand during some of the most turbulent moments in the peace process. But his sudden resignation — and the charges that followed — shattered that reputation overnight.
His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, is also facing charges connected to the same case. She has likewise denied all wrongdoing.
The collapse of his political career in a single morning was one of the most dramatic falls from grace in recent Northern Irish political history.
What happens inside the courtroom
Juries in serious criminal trials aren’t rushed. They’re given as much time as they need, and in a case of this complexity and sensitivity, that’s entirely expected. A court spokesperson confirmed that jurors will resume their deliberations when court sits again on Friday morning.
The judge has given the jury a majority direction, meaning they don’t need to reach a unanimous verdict on all counts. That instruction allows for a 10-to-2 majority to be accepted by the court on charges where the jury remains divided.
What comes next
All eyes will be on Laganside Crown Court on Friday. Legal observers note that the volume of charges — 18 in total — means the jury faces a substantial task working through each count individually. It’s not unusual for complex multi-count trials to take several days of deliberation before verdicts are returned.
For Northern Ireland’s political parties, the outcome carries implications beyond the courtroom. The DUP has been rebuilding under new leadership since Donaldson’s departure, and a verdict of any kind will likely reignite debate about how the allegations were initially handled internally.
Whatever the jury decides, Friday’s session will bring this long-running and deeply serious case one step closer to a conclusion that many in Northern Ireland have been waiting months to hear.
