Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of 18 sexual offence charges, including one count of rape, following a trial at Newry Crown Court.
The 62-year-old was convicted on all charges brought against him, with the rape conviction representing the most serious offence. The charges stemmed from allegations made by two women who said they were abused by Donaldson when they were children.
In addition to the rape charge, Donaldson was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency. The jury, consisting of five women and seven men, returned unanimous guilty verdicts after more than ten hours of deliberations over two days.
Donaldson showed no visible reaction as the verdicts were delivered in court. Following the convictions, Judge Paul Ramsey ordered that he be remanded in custody ahead of sentencing, stating that a “lengthy sentence of imprisonment” was unavoidable given the seriousness of the offences.
The former politician is due to be sentenced on 25 September, with a review hearing scheduled earlier that month. Judge Ramsey also confirmed that Donaldson would be placed on the sex offenders register as a result of his convictions.
After addressing the court, the judge instructed custody officers to “take Mr Donaldson down”, and he was subsequently taken into custody.
The trial marked a dramatic fall for Donaldson, who resigned as DUP leader after being charged in 2024. He had denied all allegations against him throughout the proceedings.
Meanwhile, Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor Donaldson, was also the subject of court proceedings connected to the case. The 60-year-old faced five charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s offending.
However, due to concerns regarding her mental health, Eleanor Donaldson did not participate in a conventional criminal trial. Instead, she was subject to a “trial of the facts”, a legal process used when a defendant is deemed unfit to stand trial.
In that hearing, the jury was tasked with determining whether she had committed the acts alleged against her, rather than deciding criminal guilt. Jurors found that she had committed the acts in all five cases.
The verdicts bring to a close a significant and high-profile case that has attracted widespread attention across Northern Ireland and beyond. Sentencing proceedings later this year will determine the length of Donaldson’s prison term.
