Northern Ireland ex-DUP leader Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sex crimes

What the report says

Former Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of multiple child sex offences, according to Al Jazeera. The sentencing took place on Thursday in Northern Ireland, with Judge Paul Ramsey describing the case as disturbing and saying Donaldson had not apologised to the victims. Donaldson, 63, has been held in custody since his convictions in June.

Al Jazeera reported that Donaldson was found guilty of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency involving two girls, with the offences said to have taken place between 1985 and 2008. He has denied the charges and is seeking to appeal. The judge said he assessed Donaldson as having a medium risk of reoffending. Because the crimes predated a legal change on sentence administration, the Northern Ireland court office said he will likely serve about half the term before release eligibility.

The case is significant because Donaldson was one of the best-known unionist politicians in Northern Ireland, serving as the DUP’s leader from 2021 and playing a central role in post-Brexit negotiations before his arrest in 2024. The report said he resigned immediately after being charged. The jury also found that his wife, Eleanor, aided and abetted him, though she has denied wrongdoing and was found unfit to stand trial because of mental health issues.