Ex-DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for rape and child sex abuse

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson. Picture: Brian Lawless/the Press Association

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been given a 15-year jail sentence for a series of historical sex offences against two women when they were children.

Judge Paul Ramsey told Newry Crown Court that Donaldson, 63, had shown no “regret, apology or shame” after he was convicted of 18 offences, including one count of rape, earlier this year.

The judge told Donaldson he had “doubled down on his denials” since his conviction for the offences committed between 1985 and 2008.

“There has not been, and doubtless will not be, one word of regret, apology or shame from this man to at least provide his victims with some crumb of comfort,” he said.

He said Donaldson had achieved many things in his political career but had now experienced a “catastrophic descent into disgrace”.

Donaldson, 63, was convicted in June of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children.

The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008.

The former Lagan Valley MP has been in Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim awaiting sentencing since the end of the trial.

The two victims gave evidence against him earlier this year.

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.

Donaldson 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.

At a pre-sentence hearing last month, extracts from victim impact statements from the two women were read.

Jeffrey Donaldson’s barrister Kieran Vaughan KC said during that hearing that the former politician was a man of “previous good character” who “did achieve significant things”.

But he added: “These convictions obliterate all those achievements he has made in his life.”