Nigel Gould

Journalist. Head of News & Sport at the award-winning Downtown Radio, Cool FM and Downtown Country - Bauer Radio NI. My views. Leeds Utd fan.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨UPDATE: Trial hears Sir Jeffrey Donaldson 'regret' letter 'had nothing to do with the allegations' and that he was described as a 'very clever man.'

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court.

Kieran Vaughan KC, barrister for Jeffrey Donaldson, continued his cross-examination of Complainant A, one of the two alleged victims, on Friday.

The trial had previously heard that Donaldson had written a letter to Complainant A in 2020 expressing “how much I truly regret all the hurt, pain and distressed I have caused”.

Today, the barrister asked the woman why she had not handed the letter to police when she had first been interviewed.

She told the court that she “wasn’t sure it was relevant at the time”.

He said: “Are you suggesting it is relevant or not relevant to the allegations?”

She said: “I think it is very relevant.”

The barrister said the letter had “nothing to do with you and sexual assault” but instead related to other behaviour by Donaldson.

The woman said while the letter did not mention sexual abuse it had “heavy connotations of guilt and shame and asking for forgiveness”.

She added: “I believe that letter is a letter of apology for what he did to me over the years.

Mr Vaughan also referred to an allegation made by the woman that Donaldson had touched her breasts on a number of occasions when she was of primary school age.

He asked about her claim that she had been touched “skin on skin”.

She said: “Mostly, one or two occasions when it was over the top of a bra, but mostly skin on skin.”

The barrister drew attention to a meeting Complainant A had had with a police officer where she mentioned “touching over clothing”.

She said: “If that is what she has written, that is what was said.”

Mr Vaughan said: “On the face of it that is inconsistent with what you told the jury yesterday, about touching under clothes.”

She said: “The facts are the facts, I am sticking to that.”

The barrister said the complainant “would have known what he was doing to you was wrong”.

She said: “Not necessarily, abuse is a very complicated thing.”

The barrister referred to an incident where the woman had claimed Donaldson had “perched” over the top of her, using a light to look at her “private parts”.

When challenged about her account, she said: “The light was focused on my genital area.”

Mr Vaughan said: “I suggest that is not true.”

The barrister added: “You were confused and you were not sure of what you had seen.”

She said: “To this day I am still confused….I am honest about that.”

After lunch, the woman said she had spoken in 2023 to a safeguarding figure within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and also a police officer.

Mr Vaughan asked why she had then waited until 2024 to lodge a formal complaint about the sexual abuse allegations.

She said she was not, at that point, ready to make a formal complaint.

She said: “It was a huge decision

“I knew this would be an extremely public affair, involving media. It was a huge, huge decision.”

Complainant A said she had been “extremely anxious” about reporting the allegations to police.

She said: “I had doubt about doing this, I very nearly changed my mind.”

The woman is due to be questioned by a barrister representing Eleanor Donaldson next week.

Mr Donaldson is on trial at Newry Crown Court accused of rape and several counts of gross indecency and of indecent assault.

The former DUP leader has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

The charges span a time period between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

She is facing a trial of the facts after Judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨UPDATE: Trial hears Sir Jeffrey Donaldson wrote letter to alleged victim expressing regret and saying he had sought God’s forgiveness

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court.

The woman, known as Complainant A, told the court that she had thought the letter was an attempt by the
former DUP leader “to apologise for perhaps the abuse which had occurred”.

Under cross-examination by Donaldson’s barrister, the woman later told the trial that she had been sexually abused by another man when she was a child.

Appearing on a videolink, Complainant A, was asked questions by prosecuting barrister Rosemary Walsh KC.

Ms Walsh read out a letter which Complainant A said had been written to her by Jeffrey Donaldson in June 2020.

In the letter, Donaldson expressed “how much I truly regret all the hurt, pain and distressed I have caused”.

It added: “I wish I could find the right words to adequately express just how sorry I am for all of this… I take full responsibility for it all.”

It also said he had sought help and forgiveness from God.

Ms Walsh asked Complainant A what she believed the letter to be about.

She responded: “I felt he was trying to apologise for perhaps the abuse which had occurred, but he didn’t want to say that formally in writing.

“It felt like an apology letter and it felt like it was written with a lot of guilt.”

Evidence in the trial began earlier with the video of a police interview with Complainant A from March 2024, weeks before the Donaldsons were arrested, being played to the jury of seven men and five women.

In the interview, the complainant said she had been of primary school age when Donaldson was “physical” with her.

She recalled waking up in the middle of the night on several occasions with a sexual feeling.

She said she later started to have nightmares about “adult men doing horrible things to children”.

She said from primary school age, Donaldson had put his hand up her top – and this “happened for quite a while”.

In her interview, she said Donaldson made comments about the size of her breasts as she got older.

She said she remembered a “significant event” when she was a young teenager when Donaldson “perched” over the top of her, holding a light and had looked at her “private parts”.

After lunch Complainant A was questioned by Donaldson’s barrister Kieran Vaughan KC.

The barrister asked her about an incident when she was sexually abused by another man when she was of primary school age.

She said: “That is correct. To my knowledge it was one incident.”

Asked why she had not told this abuse to police when she had reported alleged abuse by Donaldson, she said she saw it as the “lesser of two evils”.

Mr Vaughan pointed out in her police interview about the alleged Donaldson abuse that she had said events were “very unclear” and that she had used the words ‘I think’ about what she claimed had happened.

Complainant A said she had “great clarity” about some events while others were “foggy”.

Mr Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

Mr Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting.

She is facing a trial of the facts after Judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🎥 “Electronic prescribing will do away with 22m bits of paper every year.”

💊 @JohnODowdSF @little_pengelly @mikenesbittni and @hilarybennmp welcome electronic prescribing initiative, as part of transformation funding

🗣️ Our reporter @TaraGriff was at Carryduff pharmacy

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨NEW: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court as the trial continues

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 is in Newry Crown Court for us.

The former DUP Leader is accused of rape and several counts of gross indecency and of indecent assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

The charges span between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

Mr Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. She is facing a trial of the facts.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🎥 “We want to improve people’s lives and livelihoods.”

🗣️ @little_pengelly and @moneillsf speaking in Belfast after Programme for Government annual report published

📑 Ministers say “tangible progress” has been made

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨UPDATE: Trial hears two women who accused Sir Jeffrey Donaldson of sexually abusing them claim he subjected them to “difficult and traumatic incidents” when they were children

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court.

The former DUP Leader is accused of rape and several counts of gross indecency and of indecent assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to the 18 alleged offences.

The charges span between 1985 and 2008 involving two alleged victims.

Mr Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. She is facing a trial of the facts.

Barrister Rosemary Walsh KC opened the prosecution case by summarising the evidence.

She told the jury they would hear evidence from witnesses as well as police interviews carried out with the Donaldsons at the time of their arrest in 2024.

Ms Walsh said two complainants had come forward to police more than two years ago and reported “difficult and traumatic incidents they say happened when they were children”.

She said the evidence of the two complainants would in part be delivered during the trial by pre-recorded interviews. She said they would be cross-examined by barristers but would not come into the court.

Ms Walsh said that in March 2024 Complainant B told police that she had been sexually abused when she was a child and that she remembered two incidents “vividly”.

In the first alleged incident, she told the police that Jeffrey Donaldson had put his hands down her underwear, pulled her legs apart and then sexually assaulted her.

In the second incident she told police that Donaldson had lifted her top and started to touch her breasts.

Ms Walsh said Complainant B had said there were other incidents and that Donaldson had put his hands down her pants “a lot”.

The barrister told the jury that Complainant B had later been at a meeting with Donaldson at a Christian centre and he had “apologised to her for what had happened in the past”.

Ms Walsh then turned to the evidence that would be presented during the trial by Complainant A.

Complainant A also made a statement to police in March 2024.

She alleged that Donaldson touched her on a number of occasions under her top when she was a child.

She told police that touching her had become something he had “done quite often”.

She told police that Donaldson would make comments about her appearance, including the size of her breasts.

She recalled one incident where she claimed that Donaldson had been “looking at her private parts”.

The jury was told that the Donaldsons had been arrested on March 28 2024 and were subject to a number of police interviews.

In Jeffrey Donaldson’s interview, when Complainant B’s account was put to him, he said it was “unbelievable” that he would have touched her in a sexual way.

Regarding Complainant A, he denied that he ever rubbed her breast.

Eleanor Donaldson is facing a trial of the facts, not a criminal trial, after Judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

The trial of the facts will test the evidence in the case but cannot result in a criminal conviction.

It is being heard by the same jury, with proceedings against both Donaldsons running simultaneously as part of one overall trial process presided over by Judge Ramsey.

The trial continues.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🗣️✍️"This job means a lot to me. I felt this was the right place for me to be."

🎤⚽️@NorthernIreland manager Michael O’Neill speaks to our reporter @mckee23_r after signing a four-year contract extension.

He took temporary charge of Championship side Blackburn Rovers in February and helped them avoid relegation, but has now agreed a deal to remain as Northern Ireland boss until 2032.

🟢⚪️O’Neill named his squad earlier today for next month’s friendly double header against Guinea and France, with first senior call-ups for Braiden Graham and Ceadach O’Neill.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

UPDATE: The start of the case today delayed until after lunch amid legal discussions.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨NEW: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court in Newry as trial continues

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 is there for us.

Mr Donaldson is accused of a series of alleged historical sexual offences.

He has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

Mr Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

She is facing a trial of the facts, not a criminal trial, after judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

Prosecution set to deliver the opening address.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨BREAKING: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court as trial begins with jury selection

Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 is at Newry Crown Court for us.

The trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson for a series of alleged historical sexual offences is due to begin later.

Proceedings at Newry Crown Court will commence with the process of selecting a jury.

Mr Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

Mr Donaldson’s wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending.

She is facing a trial of the facts, not a criminal trial, after judge Paul Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

https://t.co/YzbfNvcWII

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨UPDATE: Jury sworn in to hear the trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court today.

Mr Donaldson is accused of a series of alleged historical sexual offences.

At the start of proceedings, Mr Donaldson replied “yes” when asked by trial judge Paul Ramsey if he was ready for his trial.

He sat in the dock with his arms crossed flanked by two court staff while the process of jury selection began.

Addressing potential jurors, the judge said Donaldson is “well known in public life here in Northern Ireland”.

He added: “He is entitled to the same fair trial as everyone else.”

The judge said the allegations against Donaldson were “of a sexual nature”.

A list of witnesses in the trial was then read to potential jurors.

His wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson, denies several charges of aiding and abetting.

She is facing a trial of the facts, not a criminal trial, after judge Ramsey ruled her unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds.

The trial of the facts will test the evidence in the case but cannot result in a criminal conviction.

It will be heard by the same jury, with proceedings against both Donaldsons running simultaneously as part of one overall trial process presided over by judge Ramsey.

The judge said the trial was expected to last between three and four weeks.

The prosecution will deliver the opening address tomorrow.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨UPDATE: The trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, and the trial of the facts of his wife in a historical sexual offences case, will be heard at same time next week.

🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 from Newry Crown Court.

The trial of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and the trial of the facts of his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson in a historical sexual offences case will proceed simultaneously, a judge has ruled.

Judge Paul Ramsey made the ruling at Newry Crown Court on Thursday when he confirmed that both sets of proceedings will begin next week on May 26th.

The judge had earlier ruled that Eleanor Donaldson is unfit to be tried after hearing medical evidence.

She is now set to face a trial of the facts, a process that tests the evidence in the case but cannot result in her being criminally convicted.

Neither Jeffrey or Eleanor Donaldson were present in court for the ruling.

They were not required to attend.

Jeffrey Donaldson has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

Eleanor Donaldson has denied charges of aiding and abetting.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🎶👨‍🌾 King Charles tries his hand at ukulele during local allotment visit

👑 On the third day of the royal visit to Northern Ireland, the King visited Ards Allotments.

It was founded on the shores of Strangford Lough by Maurice Patton after watching the then Prince of Wales visit an allotment on the news more than 20 years ago.

His Majesty met a range of volunteers and growers who use the allotment to grow fresh produce and forge social connections.

He also took in a musical performance by the Loughries Men’s Shed Ukulele Ensemble.

🎥 Our reporter @mckee23_r was in Newtownards this morning.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

The Chancellor will unveil new measures aimed at easing the cost of living later.

⛽️Yesterday the PM confirmed the 5p cut to fuel duty's being extended until the end of the year.

🎙️Our North West Reporter @ChelsieKealey spoke with Chris Arthur from Sandy Arthur Coach Hire.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚑Ulster University paramedic students are hosting a CPR marathon in Belfast City Centre.

❤️The Paramedic Society's hoping to raise awareness about the lifesaving skill while also fundraising for the group.

🎙️Our North West Reporter @ChelsieKealey has been hearing from students ahead of Saturday’s event.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

👑⛲️Royal visit: The King and Queen attend Hillsborough garden party

🎥Hundreds of guests were greeted by Their Majesties at a garden party at Hillsborough Castle today.

On a sunny afternoon, The King and Queen spent time talking to guests who have made positive impacts across Northern Ireland’s voluntary and charitable sectors.

📍Our reporter @mckee23_r was there.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

⁉️🗣NEW: 'No one asks the religion of PSNI officers when they respond. We have an unhealthy focus on the religious make-up of the service.'

Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 speaking to Police Federation for Northern Ireland Chair Liam Kelly.

He was speaking about Catholic and nationalist members of the service, and said more needs to be done to promote the PSNI as a good career.

Mr Kelly acknowledged there could be “more from a Catholic background in its ranks”.

But he said that with the “indifferent political approach taken by some parties, combined with community opposition and a terrorist threat to those who take the brave decision, it’s little wonder there’s a reluctance to raise heads above the parapet and come forward”.

He said the reintroduction of 50-50 recruitment would be a “backward step” and would lead to “understandable resentment”.

“Engineering the figures would be a lazy way of trying to fix a societal problem,” he said.

“From this platform today, I join the Chief Constable in saying bluntly that it’s time everyone did their bit in a more vocal and assertive way to promote a career in policing.

“Those applicants from a Catholic background in particular have to be given specific reassurance from nationalist politicians and church leaders that there is no impediment or threat to them becoming police officers.

“Too often, there’s a rush to criticise, but when it comes to giving wholehearted encouragement and unequivocal endorsement of a career in policing, quite a few usually vocal spokespeople develop a case of laryngitis.

“Their silence is deafening.”

He added: “It’s time for all of them to get off the fence.”

@PoliceFedforNI

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

⚠️💥NEW: MLA pay rise 'angered' police officers as PSNI described as a service 'on the ropes'

🎤🎥Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 sits down with @PoliceFedforNI Chair Liam Kelly.

👥He says the announcement that MLA pay was increasing by £14,000 caused anger among PSNI officers.

Mr Kelly detailed how officers “have to fight” to secure fair salaries, adding that pay has “fallen way behind inflation”.

Addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland’s annual conference in Belfast, he described the PSNI as being “on the ropes”.

He said that ahead of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the PSNI in November, “the outlook has never been as bleak or filled with as much foreboding”.

Mr Kelly noted that in November 2001 there were around 7,500 full-time police officers serving a population of around 1.69 million, while today there are “disgracefully” just 6,315 officers serving a population of 1.93 million.

“When you remove student officers from this total, the figure slides down towards 6,000,” he added.

He says a blind eye is being turned to falling police officer numbers.

Justice Minister @naomi_long also spoke at the event and stressed that, despite the difficult financial situation facing the Department, she has consistently prioritised funding for the PSNI.

She also paid tribute to the courage and professionalism of police officers who responded to recent terrorist bomb attacks at two PSNI stations.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨Lady Eleanor Donaldson ruled unfit to stand trial

The wife of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has been ruled unfit to stand trial in a historical sexual offences case in which her husband is a defendant.

Judge Paul Ramsey made the ruling at Newry Crown Court on Wednesday after hearing medical evidence.

The judge told the court: “I am satisfied that upon the totality of the evidence presented I will determine that Eleanor Donaldson is unfit to be tried.”

Eleanor Donaldson is now set to face a trial of the facts – a process that tests the evidence in the case but cannot result in her being criminally convicted.

The judge heard further legal submissions during Wednesday’s hearing on whether that trial of the facts should run alongside the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson or as separate proceedings at a different time.

He is due to rule on that point on Thursday.

Neither Jeffrey or Eleanor Donaldson were present in court for the ruling.

They were not required to attend.

Prior to Wednesday’s proceedings, the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, had been listed to start on May 26.

He has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a time period between 1985 and 2008, involving two alleged victims.

Eleanor Donaldson, 60, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, has denied charges of aiding and abetting.

Proceedings had already been delayed twice due to medical issues related to her.

The judge ruled that she was not fit to stand trial after considering evidence from several psychiatric experts.

Jeffrey Donaldson, a former long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, was arrested and charged at the end of March 2024.

He resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations emerged.

Weeks before his arrest, he had led the DUP back into devolved government at Stormont after a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.