Jeffrey Donaldson to be sentenced today for sexual abuse of two women when they were children

Former DUP leader will be sentenced at Newry Crown Court for offences he committed between 1985 and 2008

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson faces sentencing in Newry today, Thursday, for the sexual abuse of two children. File picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson will today be sentenced at Newry Crown Court for the sexual abuse of two women when they were children.

Donaldson, 63, was convicted of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse.

The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008.

The former Lagan Valley MP has been in Maghaberry prison awaiting sentencing since then.

His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 60, was found to have aided and abetted his crimes after a trial of the facts, which was granted on mental health grounds.

During Jeffrey Donaldson’s trial earlier this year, the two victims gave evidence against him.

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.

During a pre-sentence hearing last month, the former DUP leader's barrister Kieran Vaughan KC said he acknowledged “given the nature of the offences that the court will impose a lengthy custodial sentence”.

He said he had “complete confidence” the court would treat Donaldson the same as any other defendant.

He said the former politician was now 63 and a man of “previous good character” and there had been no offending in the past 18 years.

The barrister said that Donaldson “did achieve significant things in his life”. But he added: “These convictions obliterate all those achievements he has made in his life.”

Mr Vaughan said that is something Donaldson “will have to live with”.

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