Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, have had their separate sex abuse court cases arranged to be heard together, according to multiple reports. The BBC reports that the couple have pleaded not guilty to a combined set of 23 sex abuse charges involving two alleged victims. An application to hear the matters concurrently is granted, with the practical effect that proceedings will run at the same time rather than as separate trials or hearings.
The Evening Standard notes that neither Jeffrey nor Eleanor Donaldson is present in court for the ruling, indicating the decision is made in their absence at this stage. While the reports describe the timing and the fact that the charges are combined, they do not provide details of the underlying allegations beyond identifying that two alleged victims are involved.
All accounts present the same core procedural update: the cases are scheduled to be heard together and the defendants maintain not-guilty pleas, with the current court ruling made without the couple appearing.
