A preliminary enquiry into the historical sexual abuse charges faced by former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is to go ahead on July 3rd.
The date was confirmed during a brief review hearing at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Barrister Fiona O’Kane, representing Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS), said all the relevant papers had been served on the defence and prosecutors were “on track” to proceed. Neither Mr Donaldson nor his co-accused, his wife Eleanor Donaldson, were present in court as both had been excused from attending.
Mr Donaldson’s solicitor, John McBurney, told the court they had received papers the previous afternoon and that “July 3rd is the scheduled date and remains so”.
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A preliminary enquiry is held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case for trial to the Crown Court.
Both defendants will be required to attend in person, Ms O’Kane told district judge Eamonn King. The hearing will take place on the eve of the July 4th UK general election.
At a court hearing in Newry last month, Mr McBurney confirmed his client would not seek re-election as an MP, but said he did not intend to stand down immediately.
In April, Mr Donaldson (61), with an address at the DUP constituency office in Castle Street in Lisburn, appeared in court charged with rape and other sexual offences on dates spanning more than two decades.
In total, he faces 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.
Mrs Donaldson (58), with an address in Dromore, Co Down, is charged with aiding and abetting rape and aiding and abetting indecent assault and two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 years old on dates between 1985 and 2004.
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