Huge public scrutiny on Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldson, with much more to come

Chaotic scenes as crowd gathers outside court and dozens watch remotely for appearance of ex-DUP leader and wife

Jeffery Donaldson appears in court on historic sex charges

Allison Morris

The story had dominated the news for days. But Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Eleanor spent barely 10 minutes in the dock of Court Three at Newry Magistrates’ Court.

It was the briefest of appearances, yet there were still chaotic scenes outside the courthouse, with cameras primed ahead of the Donaldsons’ arrival.