Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for 18 sexual offences, including the rape of a child.
Donaldson (63) was convicted at Newry Crown Court in June of 18 sex offences relating to the abuse of two women when they were children, on dates from 1985 to 2008.
He had denied the offences, but the jury convicted him of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.
“My truth, that was deeply private and painful, has become public knowledge,” her statement said.
The other victim, addressing Donaldson and his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, directly, said “you both could have saved me from court … you both implied not only that none of it happened, but accused me of making it up, and it made everything you did so much worse.
The judge said that, having observed the “demeanour and reaction” of both victims while giving evidence, he had “no doubt whatsoever of the permanent mark that this abuse has left on each of them.”
Donaldson stood in the dock, dressed in a blue suit and white shirt, and showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down.
The pre-sentence report provided to the court noted Donaldson had “stoutly maintained his denial of guilt” and assessed him as having a “medium” risk of reoffending.
Donaldson was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and will be subject to several other conditions, including a ban on working with children and vulnerable adults.
The former DUP MP has been in Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim awaiting sentencing since the end of the trial in June. He is appealing his conviction.
She cannot be given a prison sentence but could be given a treatment order or an absolute discharge.
The judge said on Thursday he would “deal with her at a later stage, when I am in possession of all the relevant documents.”
Outside the court, the head of the Public Prosecution Service’s serious crime unit, Catherine Kierans, praised the victims’ courage in coming forward to seek justice.
“Jeffrey Donaldson held a prominent public position,” she said. “This case shows that sexual abuse can be hidden behind a facade of respectability.”
Speaking outside court, Det Chief Insp Leah Crothers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said Donaldson had manipulated his victims and exploited their trust. Police and the criminal justice system had sent a clear message, she said. “No-one is above the law,” said Crothers.
Complainant A gave evidence of inappropriate touching and kissing by Donaldson and an incident where he used a light to examine her genitals.
Complainant B told the trial she had been raped as a child of primary-school age by Donaldson and later sexually assaulted by him.
At a pre-sentencing hearing last month, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh spoke of various tariffs for the offences, several of which carried a maximum sentence of two years. But other offences carried a maximum sentence of between 10 and 14 years under historical tariffs for crimes, she told the court.
She said historical legislation did not differentiate between a child and an adult victim in all the counts, so the disparity in age between Donaldson and his victims should be considered an “aggravating” factor in sentencing. She said Complainant B was “nine or 10” during some of the offending by Donaldson when he was 25 or 26 years old. She had described how she felt “sick” when he abused her and “wanted to scream out” but thought it was her fault.
Complainant B suffered other types of sexual assault by Donaldson when she was as young as “seven or eight”.
But he added: “These convictions obliterate all those achievements he has made in his life.”
- Donaldson was knighted for political services in 2016 and became DUP leader in 2021, before resigning in 2024. He was stripped of his knighthood in July.