Jeffrey Donaldson, pictured here in 2023.Getty Images

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former head of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was sentenced on Thursday, October 15, after he was found guilty in June of non-recent child sexual abuse crimes.

At Newry Crown Court on Thursday, Donaldson, 63, was sentenced to 15 years for his crimes.

However, RTÉ News reports that Donaldson will only spend seven and a half years in prison as he qualifies for an automatic 50% remission of his sentence, because the offences were committed before the start of the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008.

In addition to his prison sentence, Donaldson will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and is subject to a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said on Thursday.

During Thursday's sentencing, Judge Paul Ramsey said Donaldson "has doubled down on his denials."

Judge Ramsey said: "There has not been, and there will not be, a word of apology or shame to offer his victims even a crumb of comfort."

Outlining the history of the case, the PSNI said on Thursday that Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldson were arrested at their home on March 28, 2024, after reports from two female victims were received.

Jeffrey originally faced 11 charges, but after the evidence file was reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), the number of charges was increased to 18 - one count of the rape of a child under the age of 13, 13 counts of indecent assault, and four counts of gross indecency.

At the time of his arrest, Jeffrey was still serving as leader of the DUP. The day after, however, the party confirmed he was stepping down and also announced that his membership had been suspended pending judicial outcome. A former member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Jeffrey Donaldson became head of the DUP in 2021 following Edwin Poots' short-lived tenure. He had been a Member of British Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley since 1997.

In June 2026, following a four-week trial which included testimony from the victims, a jury of five women and seven men took just over ten hours to return a verdict; Jeffrey was found guilty on all 18 charges.

Eleanor was also found, following a trial of the facts, to have done the acts alleged in relation to five charges, including four of aiding and abetting her husband’s abuse. The court had previously determined that she was medically unfit to stand trial. She is due to return to court on November 1 for a hearing in relation to the conclusion of her case.

Both Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldson have lodged appeals.

Jeffrey Donaldson has since been stripped of his knighthood, which was bestowed upon him in 2016. He is no longer an MP, having not stood for re-election as his trial was pending. The DUP has since confirmed he is no longer a member of the party.

April 24, 2024: Jeffrey Donaldson outside Newry Magistrates Court. (Getty Images)

Read more

Jeffrey Donaldson's victims' impact statements

The victims, now adults, were only seven years old when the sexual abuse against them both began during the years 1985 - 2008, the PSNI said on Thursday.

According to the PSNI, Jeffrey "manipulated both young victims and exploited the trust they had in him for his own sexual gain," while his wife Eleanor "on a number of reported occasions from both victims, was either explicitly told about the abuse by the victims themselves or witnessed his sexual advances first-hand."

The PSNI shared both victims' anonymized impact statements on Thursday.

Victim A said: “My childhood was stolen from me and I will never get it back. The effects of the Donaldson’s actions have bled into every part of my life. Although the offences happened in the past, their impact did not end when the abuse ended.

“For years I carried shame, anger and guilt, and questioned whether I was worth protecting or worthy of being loved. I learnt to survive by shutting away my emotions, trusting no one and expecting people to hurt me. I became strong, resilient and fiercely independent, but those qualities came at a cost. I should never have had to become this strong.

“The last few years have been nothing short of a battle. The conviction does not erase the abuse or undo the impact of what happened to me, and I will always carry the consequences of it. But those responsible do not control me now. They forever changed me, but they will not take my future. The cycle is being broken and it ends with me.”

Victim B said: “What happened to me as a child has affected everything since then, every day and every relationship I have ever had. At times I wonder who I would be if this hadn’t happened to me. What would it be like not to be afraid at night, not to wake up shaking, not to have nightmares and not to lock away every feeling I have?

“What happened took away my ability to trust people and, in all honesty, I don’t think I really know what trust or love truly is. Nothing can ever change what was done to me. I wish it could.

“I stood up, many years later, because for me this is about drawing a line in the sand and knowing that the Donaldson’s can no longer hurt anyone else. Many people get to look ahead and plan their lives with hope, I’ve never known what that feels like. My hope was taken away from me a long time ago.” 

Speaking following Thursday's sentencing, PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Leah Crothers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "Living in silence and fear of the repercussions of telling someone or of not being believed, both brave women have suffered immeasurably as they come to terms with what happened to them as children.

"He robbed them both of their childhood and innocence."

The PSNI appealed to anyone with any concerns or suspicions relating to the abuse of an adult or a child to make contact with them. The police service suggests these partners for guidance and support.

"If you are now an adult and were abused as a child, it’s never too late to get justice," the PSNI said.

Catherine Kierans, the head of Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) Serious Crime Unit, also said on Thursday: “Child sexual abuse is a heinous crime.

"Jeffrey Donaldson exploited his young victims, causing profound and lasting harm that they continue to live with to this day.

"Despite the devastation he has caused, he has never accepted responsibility for his offending, nor shown any remorse. 

“Jeffrey Donaldson held a prominent public position. This case shows that sexual abuse can be hidden behind a facade of respectability. It also shows that no individual, irrespective of their position, status or public reputation, is beyond the reach of the law.”

The PPS Assistant Director encouraged other victims of sexual offending to report what has happened to them.

Read more

"He deserves every day of the lengthy prison sentence" - DUP

In a statement issued on social media, party leader Gavin Robinson and the DUP said: "Today justice has been done with the sentencing of Jeffrey Donaldson for his vile and disgusting crimes against his victims.

"Our first thoughts are again with the innocent victims, who having suffered such evil, were re-traumatised through giving evidence at the trial.

"They deserve our compassion, support and respect. We hope they can find some measure of comfort and can look ahead to a new chapter in their lives.

"Regardless of status or position every individual must be held accountable for their actions.

"He deserves every day of the lengthy prison sentence he has to serve following the guilty verdict for preying on innocent child victims."