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Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the DUP, has been convicted of a string of historical sexual offences against two women who were children at the time, a jury at Newry Crown Court has found. The verdict leaves the 63-year-old facing a substantial custodial sentence and a place on the sex offenders register.
Guilty verdicts and immediate consequences
The jury found Donaldson guilty of a total of 18 counts: one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced later this year.
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Judge Paul Ramsey told the court a prison term was unavoidable and described the sentence as likely to be “lengthy.” A review hearing is scheduled for 11 September, with a pre-sentencing hearing on 25 September. The judge also ordered Donaldson to be placed on the sex offenders register.
Key evidence and the apology letter
Prosecutors told the court that a 2020 letter Donaldson wrote to one complainant, in which he apologised and asked for forgiveness, seriously undermined his denials. In the letter he acknowledged the harm caused by his “sinful and selfish actions” and expressed remorse for the pain he had inflicted.
Donaldson told police and jurors he was innocent and rejected the allegations as “unbelievable” and untrue. He also spent two days giving evidence at the trial and maintained his denials. A church minister supporting one complainant gave evidence that Donaldson had sent a WhatsApp message in 2023 saying he wanted to find a way to “repent before them as I have before the Lord.”
Allegations from two complainants
The offences covered a period between 1985 and 2008. One witness, identified in court as Complainant A, described inappropriate touching and kissing and an episode in which Donaldson used a light to examine her genitals. Complainant B told jurors she was raped while of primary school age and was later sexually assaulted by him.
Because of legal restrictions, the women cannot be named. The prosecution confirmed that victim impact statements will be prepared ahead of sentencing.
Trial of the facts for Eleanor Donaldson
Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co. Down, underwent a trial of the facts on charges that she aided and abetted her husband. That procedure examines evidence but, for mental health reasons, cannot result in a criminal conviction. The court found she had aided and abetted his crimes.
Political fallout and reactions
Donaldson, first elected to Parliament in 1997 and for years the longest-serving MP in Northern Ireland, was arrested in 2024 and stepped down as DUP leader after his initial arrest. Current DUP leader Gavin Robinson, who succeeded him, said he welcomed the verdict and expressed sympathy for the victims, adding his support to calls for Donaldson to be stripped of his knighthood.
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said he stood with the victims and urged continued support. Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows described the offences as among the “gravest crimes imaginable” and paid tribute to the bravery of those who gave evidence.
A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Northern Ireland said Donaldson had abused a public position of trust and that his wife had been aware but failed to act.
Donaldson showed little visible reaction when the verdicts were read. After the jury returned their decision — following just over ten hours of deliberation — Judge Ramsey thanked jurors for their service. Prosecution counsel Rosemary Walsh KC confirmed the next steps toward sentencing.
Reporting by Jonathan McCambridge and Martin Robinson
