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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Found Guilty of 18 Child Sex Abuse Charges Including Rape
A Newry Crown Court jury convicted the former MP and DUP leader on all 18 counts after 10 hours of deliberation on day 20 of the trial. Judge Paul Ramsey remanded him in custody and said he faces a lengthy sentence.
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A jury at Newry Crown Court found Sir Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of 18 charges of historical child sex abuse, including one count of rape, after deliberating for 10 hours on day 20 of the trial. The offences were committed against two women when they were children. Donaldson, 63, showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered.
Judge Paul Ramsey remanded Donaldson in custody pending sentencing and stated that he faced a lengthy sentence. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, was found unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. A jury determined in a trial of the facts that she had committed the acts alleged in five charges, four of which related to aiding and abetting.
The four-week trial included testimony from the two complainants, who appeared by video link. Donaldson stared at them with an expression described as pity or sadness, made notes in an A4 notebook, and at times shook his head. He also chewed his lower lip and his eyes welled with tears during parts of the testimony.
In a police interview played in court, Donaldson denied the allegations, stating of the rape claim: "It just didn't happen. " Complainant B accepted an apology from Donaldson in the 1990s, which he said was not for sexual misconduct. Donaldson represented Lagan Valley as an MP from 1997 until 2024 and led the Democratic Unionist Party from June 2021 to March 2024.
He was arrested in April 2024. On the first day of the trial he appeared in court wearing a blue suit and green tie and answered "Yes" when asked if he was ready to begin.
