New medical reports on Eleanor Donaldson, the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, have been submitted to court in advance of their trial on historic sex offences.
During a brief hearing at Newry Crown Court on Friday, Judge Paul Ramsey set a date for a review hearing of the case for May 5th, following the emergence of the two psychiatric reports.
The next hearing “will give us a clear three weeks before the trial”, he said.
Jeffrey Donaldson (63) with an address in Dromore, Co Down, previously pleaded not guilty to 18 offences – one count of rape, four of gross indecency with or towards a child, and 13 of indecent assault on a female, on dates between 1987 and 2008.
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Eleanor Donaldson (59), of the same address, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of aiding and abetting in connection with the charges faced by her husband.
The couple, who deny all charges, were not in court on Friday as neither defendant was required to attend.
They do not have to attend the next review hearing, the judge said.
Prosecuting barrister Rosemary Walsh said she had only received the latest medical reports on Friday morning.
The judge acknowledged the prosecution needed time to look at the reports.
The trial, which was originally due to begin in March 2025, has already been postponed twice due to a deterioration in the mental health of Eleanor Donaldson.
A new trial date of May 26th was set at a hearing last month.
Jeffrey Donaldson, the long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after he was arrested and charged in March 2024.
Weeks before his arrest, he had led the DUP back into Stormont after a two-year boycott of the Northern Ireland powersharing institutions.
The then deputy leader, Gavin Robinson. was appointed his successor as DUP leader.
