Jeffrey Donaldson pleads not guilty to 18 historical sex offences ...

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 historical sex offences involving two alleged victims.

Mr Donaldson (61) and his wife Eleanor Donaldson (58), both with an address in Dromore, Co Down, appeared at Newry Crown Court on Tuesday for an arraignment hearing.

Mrs Donaldson pleaded not guilty to three aiding and abetting charges linked to her husband’s alleged offences.

A date of March 24th next has been set for the trial, which is expected to last a fortnight.

Mr Donaldson faces charges involving two alleged victims on dates between 1985 and 2008. He is accused of one count of rape, four of gross indecency with or towards a child, and 13 of indecent assault on a female.

A defence lawyer for Mrs Donaldson confirmed there was an application to have two other charges against her withdrawn.

This was the first time the couple were formally asked to enter pleas following their arrest at their home six months ago. It was their third court appearance since April.

Wearing a navy blue suit, Mr Donaldson and his wife, wearing a black jacket, stood in the dock flanked by custody officers as the charges were read aloud to them during the brief hearing.

Mr Donaldson leaned forward and replied “not guilty” loudly into the microphone to each charge. Mrs Donaldson also replied “not guilty”.

The alleged rape offence relates to a date unknown between January 1st, 1987, and January 1st, 1991.

A review hearing was set for October 25th but Judge Paul Ramsey told the defendants they will not be required to attend as it would be administrative.

The couple were released on continuing bail at the end of the 10-minute hearing.

Following his resignation from as DUP leader last March, Mr Donaldson reportedly indicated he intended to strenuously contest the charges.

At his first court appearance in April, Mr Donaldson was faced with 11 charges – rape, gross indecency with or towards a child, and nine counts of indecent assault on a female – on dates between 1985 and 2006.

In July, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to return the case to trial.

One of Northern Ireland’s most high-profile political figures, Mr Donaldson was elected to lead the DUP in 2021 and played an instrumental role in the talks that led to Stormont’s restoration earlier this year following a two-year hiatus.

The North’s longest serving MP, he was first elected to the Lagan Valley seat in 1997 when he was a member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) He defected to the DUP in 2004 after he clashed with the former UUP leader David Trimble over his support for the Belfast Agreement.

Mr Donaldson presided over the DUP’s opposition to the post-Brexit trading arrangements that led to Stormont’s collapse in 2022. He did not stand for re-election in the Westminster election in July.