Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's wife Lady Eleanor faces abetting charges in court as the former DUP leader hears historical sex allegations against him including rape

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has appeared in court after being charged with historical sex offences including rape.

The former DUP leader appeared in the dock alongside his wife of 36 years, Lady Eleanor Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, who is accused of aiding him with rape.

Amid a heightened security presence, the veteran politician, 61, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth inside a packed courtroom at Newry Magistrates' Court this morning.

Donaldson faces 11 charges, relating to two victims, spanning over a 20-year period ending in 2006.

They include one count of rape, one count of gross indecency towards a child and nine counts of indecent assault on a female.

The court heard how Donaldson, on a date between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 1991, 'had unlawful sexual intercourse' with the alleged victim.

Another charge alleges Donaldson 'committed an act of gross indecency towards a child' on a date between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 58, is charged with two counts of aiding and abetting as well as additional offences.

The four allegations facing Eleanor Donaldson span dates from January 1985 to December 2004.

Amid a heightened security presence, the pair arrived separately but shared the dock together for the duration of the eight-minute hearing, separated by a prison officer.

Donaldson remained silent as weaved his way through a media scrum wearing a grey suit and green tie arriving at Newry Courthouse shortly after 9.30 am.

The pair spoke only to confirm their name and date of birth to District Judge Eamonn King, who read out the charges.

The pair were released on continuing bail with a change in conditions allowing them to communicate with each other.

Donaldson was suspended from the DUP pending the outcome of the judicial process, and East Belfast MP and deputy leader Gavin Robinson has been appointed interim party leader.

His membership of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland has also been suspended.

Rumours about Sir Jeffrey's political future began swirling overnight when Donaldson's website and social media accounts, including X, Facebook and Instagram, were deleted.

The shock court appearance comes just weeks after Sir Jeffrey made the decision to return the party to powersharing in Northern Ireland.

Sir Jeffrey's leadership saw him steer the party's two-year boycott of Northern Ireland's political institutions, in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

After protracted negotiations, the DUP agreed to return to Stormont in February after the agreement of a new deal and a series of assurances around Northern Ireland's constitutional position within the United Kingdom.

Sir Jeffrey, who has had an almost 40-year career in politics, became DUP leader in July 2021.

His career started with the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and in 1985, aged 22, he was the youngest person to be elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

His relationship with former UUP leader David Trimble deteriorated when he led a walkout of the 1998 peace talks, after opposing the early release of republican and loyalist prisoners.

He left the party and joined the DUP in January 2004.

He was recognised by the Queen in her 2016 Birthday Honours and was given a knighthood.

During his time in the DUP he helped to broker the party's  £1bn confidence and supply deal with Theresa May's minority Conservative government, when the Tories held the balance of power at Westminster between 2017 and 2019.

East Belfast MP and deputy leader Gavin Robinson has been appointed interim party leader.