Two separate legal proceedings involving sexual offence charges in UK and Australia
An Adelaide defence lawyer pleaded not guilty to three sexual offences in Australian court, while in Northern Ireland, former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson took the witness stand in his trial on 18 sex abuse charges. These are distinct cases in different jurisdictions with different alleged victims and timeframes. The cases highlight ongoing legal proceedings involving serious criminal allegations in Commonwealth countries.
Two separate criminal proceedings are underway in Commonwealth jurisdictions. In Adelaide, Australia, defence lawyer Andrew Robert Graham, 41, entered not guilty pleas to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and one count of compelling a person to sexually manipulate an offender, with allegations dating to January 2025. He was arrested on New Year's Day 2025 and will appear in District Court for arraignment in September. In Northern Ireland, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, is on trial at Newry Crown Court facing 18 sex abuse charges allegedly committed between 1985 and 2008 against two alleged victims who reported to police in March 2024. Donaldson took the witness stand in the third week of his trial, while his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson faces separate charges of aiding and abetting and is undergoing a trial of facts due to mental health considerations.
What different sources said
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
Jeffrey Donaldson takes the stand in sex abuse trial
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Adelaide defence lawyer pleads not guilty to sexual offences
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