Arrest of Jeffrey Donaldson came at the height of his political powers

Former DUP leader's fall from power began with a knock on the door that would bring his long career to a sudden halt

Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at Newry Crown Court on Monday, June 22. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Jeffrey Donaldson was at the height of his long political career when police officers knocked on his door early in the morning on March 28, 2024.

Two months previously the DUP leader had led his party back into the devolved institutions at Stormont, having struck a deal with the UK government to end his two-year boycott of powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.