Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the previous chief of the Democratic Unionist Occasion, has appeared at courtroom charged with rape and different historic intercourse offences.
He has been charged with one depend of rape, one depend of gross indecency in the direction of a toddler and 9 counts of sexual assault on dates between 1985 and 2006.
His spouse, Eleanor Donaldson, 58, appeared alongside him in courtroom and is charged with aiding and abetting him.
Each had been launched on bail after showing at Newry Magistrates Court docket in Co Down.
Donaldson, 61, who’s Northern Eire’s longest-serving MP, was suspended by the social gathering following his arrest final month.
In an announcement on the time, the DUP stated: “The Occasion Chairman has obtained a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historic nature and indicating that he’s stepping down as Chief of the Democratic Unionist Occasion with rapid impact.
“In accordance with the Occasion Guidelines, the Occasion Officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the result of a judicial course of.”
Donaldson stated he can be strenuously contesting the costs in his resignation letter. He had been arrested at his residence in County Down the earlier morning and brought to Antrim Police Station for questioning.
Donaldson, who has been MP for Lagan Valley for 27 years, was knighted for his companies to politics in 2016.
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He helped dealer the DUP’s £1bn confidence and provide take care of Theresa Could’s minority Tory authorities, when the social gathering held the steadiness of energy at Westminster between 2017 and 2019.
Extra not too long ago, he had compromised and led his social gathering again into the power-sharing authorities at Stormont, which it had boycotted for 2 years over post-Brexit buying and selling preparations.
