In 2012 I decided no longer to renew my season ticket at Celtic Park after the Chairman announced we needed a Rangers.
I've missed lots of highs in this time, Barca centenary, Ange ball, Dembele, peak Jota. There is always something that says I was right, usually this SAME board
🚨UPDATE: Court heard that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: 'I know what this is about. I’m sorry. Please forgive me,' at meeting involving teenager who had made serious allegations of abuse
🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court.
The trial heard from the founders of a Christian centre who stated that Donaldson had said “sorry” to the alleged victim in their home in the 1990s, but added that no allegations had been mentioned during the meeting.
Today, the jury of five women and seven men heard evidence from Laura Claire Selfridge, who is the daughter of David and Linda Hoy, who founded the Christian Family Centre in Armoy, Co Antrim.
The court has previously heard evidence that Complainant B had stayed at the centre when she was a teenager after developing a problem with drugs.
Ms Selfridge told the court she had a conversation with Complainant B in her bedroom in Armoy.
She told the court: “She literally just said she had been abused.”
Asked about the atmosphere, Ms Selfridge said: “Very shocking, almost like a bomb went off, that is what it felt like for me.”
The witness added: “She was very troubled, I remember feeling my heart was very raw for her.”
The witness said they had never spoken again about the alleged abuse.
Asked if she had spoken to anyone else about the alleged abuse, she said: “Never, not to this day.”
Jeffrey Donaldson’s barrister Kieran Vaughan KC asked the witness if Complainant B had used the word “sexual” in relation to the alleged abuse.
She replied “No”.
Mr Hoy gave evidence at the trial.
He told the jury he had received a phone call from Mr Matthews in the 1990s stating there “had been an allegation”.
He added: “He said it was against Jeffrey Donaldson.”
The witness added: “I knew it was serious but I didn’t really know what the nature of the allegations was.”
Mr Hoy said Complainant B was looking to meet Donaldson and “wanted a safe place to do that”.
The witness said he then arranged a meeting between himself and Donaldson at a hotel.
Mr Hoy said he told Donaldson “there had been an allegation…and she wanted to meet him face to face”.
Asked about Donaldson’s response, he said: “It was positive, in fact it (the meeting) was arranged for the next day.”
The court was then told about a meeting between Donaldson, Complainant B and the Hoys in their home in Armoy the following day.
Mr Hoy said: “Mr Donaldson spoke first, he said I know what this is about, he said I am sorry and can you please forgive me.”
The witness said that Complainant B was upset but she “did say she forgave him”.
Mr Hoy said he asked B if she wanted to “take this any further and she said no”.
He said there had been no discussion at the meeting of what the allegations were. He added that it had been a brief meeting.
He also told the jury that he and his wife had subsequently seen Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldsons to provide counselling about “marital problems”.
Barrister for Jeffrey Donaldson Kieran Vaughan KC asked if allegations had been made at the meeting in the Hoys’ home.
Mr Hoy said: “None.”
Mr Vaughan suggested that Complainant B had said at the meeting that she had “not been comfortable at times in the relationship” with Donaldson.
He further suggested Donaldson had said “if that was the case he apologised”.
Mr Hoy responded: “It could have been said but I don’t recall it.”
Linda Hoy gave evidence about the same meeting.
She said: “Mr Donaldson said I know what this is about, I am truly sorry, please forgive me.”
She said Complainant B had responded “yes”.
The court was played a police video interview from Pastor Stephen Matthews, who had met Complainant B at the Christian Family Centre in Co Antrim.
He is not well enough to give evidence to the trial.
In his police interview, he said Complainant B had been “emotionally distressed” when she spoke to him.
He said: “I spent time with her, I prayed with her.”
1/2
Jeffrey Donaldson’s wife told police she was met with a “blank wall” when she repeatedly asked him about an incident where he had been alone in a room with an alleged victim of sexual abuse.
Read more: https://t.co/oBOP4Bp4g0
I just heard the @BBC radio say that the Israeli army was attacking Hezbollah targets yesterday & they also platformed someone bloviating about how Iran is ‘occupying’ Lebanon.
As a frontline journalist on the ground for the last 18 months, I would like to reiterate that I have not see any Iranian occupation bases in Lebanon. I have not seen any children killed here by Iranian bombs. I haven’t seen the IRGC massacring entire families on a daily basis. The IRGC has not shot at me or killed dozens of my colleagues in targeted attacks. Iran has not been systematically murdering healthcare workers (over 130) in Lebanon.
Israel has violently invaded and occupied Lebanon. The flag flying over the base in Al Khiam is an Israeli flag, not an Iranian flag. (Photo below)
The Lebanese Ministry of Health yesterday reported that 3,613 civilians have been killed and 11,072 have been wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2nd.
🔴 Énorme DINGUERIE encore des États-Unis...
L'arbitre somalien Omar Artan 🇸🇴 s'est vu refuser son entrée aux États-Unis, alors qu'il est sensé officier pendant la Coupe du Monde ! 🙄
Malgré l'aide appuyée de l'ambassade somalienne de Nairobi, qui lui a fourni un PASSEPORT DIPLOMATIQUE, M. Artan a dû faire demi tour à son arrivée aux USA.
On parle d'une personne qui a été élue MEILLEUR ARBITRE AFRICAIN EN 2025 ! 🤦♂️
(@Romain_Molina)
@YvetteCooperMP Yvette, where do you stand on Israel closing both borders to Gaza and stopping all aid supplies?
Where do you stand on Israel displaying 1m people in Lebanon and bombing indiscriminately?
Why does it appear your concerns are more about global trade than human life?
@jimac1111 Would that discount be part of the Barnett formula so Scotland would need to pay a share of it?
Would the water that is required for this need to meet certain standards which English water cannot meet?
🚨NEW: Recording of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s police interview is set to be shown to jury as the trial continues
🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 is at Newry Crown Court.
The jury is also expected to be shown Lady Eleanor Donaldson’s police interview.
Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.
Lady Eleanor Donaldson denies several charges of aiding and abetting and is facing a trial of the facts.