Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson denied all sexual offence allegations against him as recordings of his police interview were played to the jury at Newry Crown Court on Monday.

The 63-year-old is standing trial alongside his wife Eleanor Donaldson. He has pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, including one count of rape, indecent assault, and gross indecency. The charges involve two complainants, both children at the time of the alleged offending between 1985 and 2008.

Eleanor Donaldson, 60, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, is facing a trial of the facts after being deemed unfit to participate in a conventional trial on mental health grounds. She denies several counts of aiding and abetting.

The jury of seven men and five women heard that Donaldson was interviewed by police for four and a half hours following his arrest in the early hours of 28 March 2024. Three hours of the recordings were played in court on Monday.

The interview, conducted at Antrim PSNI station, began with Donaldson confirming his name and date of birth. Asked if he wished to say anything about the alleged offences, he replied no.

When detectives put specific allegations to him, Donaldson rejected each one. He denied putting his hands down a complainant's pants, pulling her legs apart, or playing with her breasts. Confronted with the rape allegation, he said it did not happen and that he could not understand the suggestion.

Addressing an incident where a complainant claimed he had used a light to look at her, Donaldson said he had startled the girl but did not have a light and was not doing anything inappropriate. He maintained the complainant had never claimed he touched her on that occasion.

He also denied putting his hand up another complainant's blouse, rubbing her breasts, or putting his tongue in her mouth. When a detective said the complainant stated the behaviour became frequent and almost normalised, Donaldson rejected the allegation.

Asked about a meeting with the second complainant and others at a Christian family centre in the 1990s, Donaldson said he had apologised because she felt uncomfortable, not because of any specific behaviour. He said none of the allegations now before the court were raised at that time.

Donaldson described his marriage as having good times and difficult times, and said his political role had placed strain on it. He told officers he did not accept the picture being painted.

The trial continues on Tuesday, when further recordings of Donaldson’s police interview, as well as interviews with Eleanor Donaldson, are due to be played.