Jeffrey Donaldson faces sentencing for rape and sexual assault of two girls

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is due to be sentenced for 18 charges including rape and indecent assault against two primary school-age victims.

Former DUP leader Donaldson to learn prison term for 18 counts of abuse

Jeffrey Donaldson, the 63-year-old former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, is due to be sentenced today for the rape and sexual assault of two young girls, RTÉ News reports.

A jury at Newry Crown Court convicted him in June on 18 charges in total — one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault, and four of gross indecency. The offending spanned more than two decades, from 1985 to 2008, and both victims were of primary school age at the time.

Judge Paul Ramsey has already warned Donaldson to expect a "lengthy sentence" of imprisonment. The former Westminster MP has remained in custody at Maghaberry Prison since his conviction, while victim impact statements and other reports were compiled ahead of today's hearing.

Both victims attended a recent pre-sentence hearing and watched as Donaldson was returned to the cells. Complainant A was described in court as having been "exhausted" by carrying the weight of her experience for so many years, and as struggling at times to look at herself in the mirror. Complainant B wrote in her victim impact statement that she no longer knew what "love or trust really are."

Donaldson's barrister acknowledged that his conviction had "obliterated" the achievements of his public life as a long-serving party leader and MP.

His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, was separately found to have aided and abetted his offending through a non-criminal process known as a trial of the facts. She did not attend the original trial due to concerns about her mental health but was legally represented throughout. A separate hearing to determine her outcome is scheduled for next month; options available to the judge include a treatment order, a supervision order, or an absolute discharge.

Both Donaldson and his wife have indicated their intention to appeal their respective findings.

Source: RTÉ News