Husband of alleged victim breaks down in court during Sir Jeffrey Donaldson trial

The husband of one of the two alleged victims in the sex abuse trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson broke down in tears as he described the moment his wife told him she had been abused.

The witness is married to Complainant A and cannot be named to protect her anonymity.

Sir Jeffrey denies 18 sex abuse charges. His wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, who faces a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, denies five charges related to aiding and abetting.

The jury at Newry Crown Court heard the witness describe how his wife revealed to him that Sir Jeffrey had abused her "on a number of occasions" when she was younger.

"She did go into detail that he inappropriately touched her and that on a number of occasions that he kissed her with his tongue," the witness said.

He also described how Complainant A had told him about an encounter in which she said Sir Jeffrey looked at her private parts.

He said his wife had been "scared" when she told him about the alleged abuse.

"She told me that she never told anyone this, so I recognised this was massive for her," he said.

The witness replied: "She was still working through and coming to a realisation of what had happened.

"This was trauma she had for so many years, had boxed off, had tried to put on a smile and pretend that everything was OK and that was a difficult process.