Ex-DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for rape and child sex abuse
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for historical sex offenses against two women committed when they were children. The judge noted that Donaldson showed no remorse and had denied the charges throughout the trial.
Why it matters
The sentencing marks a significant fall from grace for a prominent political figure and underscores the legal system's handling of historical abuse cases.
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson. Picture: Brian Lawless/the Press Association
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been given a 15-year jail sentence for a series of historical sex offences against two women when they were children.
Judge Paul Ramsey told Newry Crown Court that Donaldson, 63, had shown no “regret, apology or shame” after he was convicted of 18 offences, including one count of rape, earlier this year.
The judge told Donaldson he had “doubled down on his denials” since his conviction for the offences committed between 1985 and 2008.
“There has not been, and doubtless will not be, one word of regret, apology or shame from this man to at least provide his victims with some crumb of comfort,” he said.
He said Donaldson had achieved many things in his political career but had now experienced a “catastrophic descent into disgrace”.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in