The “expectation” is the trial of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson on historic sex offences will go ahead as planned later this month, a court has heard.

Further medical evidence is still expected regarding the fitness of Eleanor Donaldson to stand trial, with one “option” before the court that the cases against each defendant could proceed in parallel.

During a brief hearing at Newry Crown Court on Tuesday, district judge Paul Ramsey said he was “very keen” for the trial to proceed as scheduled on May 26th and he would be “extremely disappointed” if it did not do so.

He listed a further review hearing on May 19th and said he expected to see “all the medical position” on this date.

“I don’t want to be told on the 19th of May … there’s another report awaited, or there’s another examination,” the judge 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.

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 Tuesday as neither defendant was required to attend.

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.

On Tuesday prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh told the court that a further examination of Eleanor Donaldson was scheduled for May 15th, and the doctor would provide a report on May 18th that would allow them to determine the way forward.

Defence barrister Ian Turkington said that by the next court hearing he hoped to have a more up-to-date medical picture from Eleanor Donaldson’s “treating physician”.

He said there was “cogent medical evidence” before the court in relation to Eleanor Donaldson’s “unfitness” and it would be “grossly unfair” to proceed to trial if she was not fit to do so.

If the medical report of May 18th determined she was unfit, he said the defence’s view was that the court could proceed “in a parallel fashion”.

The judge said this was one of the “options” before the court.

The long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, Jeffrey Donaldson resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after he was arrested and charged with historical sex offences 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, the MP for east Belfast, took over as DUP leader.