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Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of all 18 sex abuse charges against him, including rape.
The jury in the sex abuse trial reached its verdict on day three and after ten hours of deliberations at Newry Crown Court.
The former politician gave no reaction as he was convicted of all offences, including rape, gross indecency and indecent assault.
Donaldson had faced one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four of gross indecency.
Eleanor Donaldson, his wife, was also found guilty of having done the acts in five charges of aiding and abetting.
However, she was not subject to criminal proceedings due to concerns about her mental health.
The former MP, 63, had pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges arising from sexual offences against two victims who were children at the time of the abuse.
Donaldson was arrested back in March 2024, prompting his resignation from the DUP.
At around 12:45pm today, Mr Donaldson, dressed in a navy suit and pink tie, was brought into the court, after which time, the jury was brought back into the courtroom.
The judge said he had received two notes from the jury asking for clarification.
During the trial, complainant A said that she was still in primary school when Donaldson began to be “physical” with her. She said that Donaldson had put his tongue in her mouth and later laughed it off. On a separate occasion, she said he had shone a light on her genitals.
Complainant B said she was raped while she was of primary school age and that later, when she was in secondary school, Donaldson had lifted her top and fondled her breasts. The jury heard that Eleanor Donaldson had witnessed part of the latter incident and had walked away.
Complainant B, the court heard, had also “locked her experiences away,” but that finding out about the allegations of Complainant B was a turning point.
The court had heard on several occasions about a letter which Donaldson had penned to complainant A in June 2020, in which he expressed “regret” for “all the hurt, pain, and distress I have caused.”
The letter, which served as a vital piece of evidence, led complainant A to tell the trial that she believed the letter may have been an attempt “to apologise for perhaps the abuse which had occurred.”
But Donaldson denied this, claiming the letter had nothing to do with sexual abuse but was to do with other matters.
Mr Donaldson’s defence barrister Kieran Vaughan KC told the jury that there were “significant and fundamental issues” with each of the complainants as the trial came to a close on Wednesday.
However, Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC said on Tuesday that both women knew that making allegations would have “lifelong consequences” and that it was “not something they are doing for the fun of it.”
“The sexual abuse they suffered has consequences – consequences that cannot be ignored and brushed under the carpet,” Ms Walsh said.
Prosecutors had encouraged the jury to recall the “pain and hurt still so visible” on the two victims. Complainant B had told the trial that she still lived with the memory of the assault, and that “what happened on that night will live with me forever.”
The trial had lasted four weeks, with Mr Donaldson giving evidence over two days last week.
Donaldson’s defence barrister had disputed the complainants’ accounts and had told the jury that the two women were “not sufficiently reliable.”
He had said there was no medical or forensic evidence, as he told the jury not to be “swept along” by a tide of emotion.
“When all is said and done that is what it is about, their word against his word,” he had said, adding that the jury “must be sure” to secure a conviction and that “suspicion is not good enough: you have to be sure.”
Today, the judge in the case said Sir Jeffrey faces a lengthy custodial sentence, as he was remanded into custody.
The former long-standing MP for Lagan Valley will be sentenced on 25th September, with a review hearing to take place that month.
Donaldson will now be placed on the sex offenders register, Judge Paul Ramsey said.
CALLS FOR DONALDSON TO BE STRIPPED OF STATE HONOURS
Reacting to the verdict, Jon Burrows, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, this afternoon joined calls for Donaldson to be stripped of all State honours.
“Today a jury has found Jeffrey Donaldson guilty on all charges. These are among the gravest crimes imaginable, committed against the most vulnerable by a man who spent his career demanding the public’s trust,” said Burrows.
“I want to pay tribute to the brave women who gave evidence against Jeffrey Donaldson about the abuse he inflicted on them; they and their families are in my thoughts in the days ahead. Their ordeal has been unimaginable.
“The fact that Donaldson showed no remorse and called his victims liars is reprehensible. There is no rank, no title, and no past office that places anyone above the law.
“Jeffrey Donaldson abused his power and betrayed everyone who ever placed their faith in him. He must now be stripped of all state honours without delay: no honour of the state should remain in the hands of a man convicted of crimes of this nature.
“This is a moment for humility and for an unflinching commitment to survivors of abuse. No one is too powerful to be held to account,” added the UUP leader.
Jim Allister, leader of the TUB, said that the conviction of Donaldson was “truly shocking.”
Mr Allister also called for Donaldson to be stripped of his knighthood, saying: “Donaldson would have continued to play out the tole of ‘statesman.’ Now he stands exposed as a paedophile.”
A spokesperson for the NSPCC Northern Ireland said that the victims in the case, now adults, had shown “immense courage” in coming forward and giving evidence after decades of “living with the impact of Jeffrey Donaldson’s abuse.”
“Child sexual abuse can have a serious and lasting impact on victims, and it is viral they receive the support they need to move forward with their lives,” the charity said.
“It is so important that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse as a child knows that if they speak out, they will be listened to and supported, regardless of who the perpetrator or how long ago it took place.”
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