Donaldson trial to begin: Attorney General warns public of contempt laws
From The BelTel by Belfast Telegraph
May 21, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the upcoming trial of Jeffrey Donaldson and the legal implications surrounding it.
The trial of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson and the trial of the facts of his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, will be heard together. Eleanor Donaldson, who had faced charges of aiding and abetting which she strenously denies, has been declared unfit to stand trial. Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences, including one count of rape, as well as allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency spanning a time period between 1985 and 2008, with two alleged victims. The former DUP leader’s trial and the trial of the facts will begin on Tuesday. The Attorney General has issued advice on commenting on legal cases. What is a trial of the facts, can you comment online about the case, and what can we expect next week? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Ciarán Dunbar
Guest: Sam McBride
Topics covered
- legal trial
- DUP
- contempt laws
- rape allegations
- indecent assault
- Northern Ireland news
Keywords
- Jeffrey Donaldson
- Eleanor Donaldson
- trial of the facts
- Attorney General
- rape allegations
- DUP
- Northern Ireland
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Belfast Telegraph, Attorney General
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