Alison Morris

He said Geoffrey Donaldson was well known in public life here in Northern Ireland and he added that he is entitled to a fair trial as is everyone else.

And the judge said while the allegations were of a sexual nature they would hear a list of witnesses in the trial that would then be read to the potential jurors.

The list of witnesses was read to jurors obviously in case anyone would know any of the witnesses and then they would have to recuse themselves from trial.

And then that was basically all that happened yesterday.

So today was in effect the first day of the trial.

Today was the day when the prosecution opened their case.

They are, and that is how they'll be referred to throughout this three-week trial.

It should last three weeks, maybe a few days more, but hopefully three weeks.

And the jury of seven men and five women were brought into the court just after 2pm, after a sort of short delay in the morning, and at that stage...

they were introduced to the legal teams who are going to represent the people involved in this.

So we have Ian Turkington-Casey, who is representing Eleanor Donaldson.

As we know, Eleanor Donaldson is not in court and will not be in court.

She is having what they call a trial of the facts.

because she has been ruled medically unfit to stand trial, but she is represented in the court by her legal team.

And then we have Ciarán Vaughan, QC, who is representing Geoffrey Donaldson.

And the prosecution is being led by Rosemary Walsh, QC, who opened the case basically by explaining the case to the jury and telling them what they could expect.

During the trial.

And she told the jury.

That they will hear the police interviews.

With both defendants.