Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has been found guilty of 18 child sex offences, including rape and indecent assault. The conviction comes after a four-week trial at Newry Crown Court in Northern Ireland, where Donaldson, 63, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The jury found that Donaldson had committed the offences against two victims, referred to as complainants A and B, between 1985 and 2008. Complainant B told the trial that she was raped when she was of primary school age and that Donaldson had lifted up her top and fondled her breasts when she was of secondary school age.
The trial also heard that Donaldson's wife, Eleanor, had aided and abetted his offending. Judge Paul Ramsey deemed Eleanor Donaldson unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds, so she faced a trial of facts, which tests evidence but does not result in a criminal conviction.
Donaldson's conviction is a shocking fall from power for the Northern Ireland politician, who had dominated unionism and played a key role in post-Brexit negotiations over Northern Ireland's position in the UK.
The verdict will shred what was left of Donaldson's reputation and will have significant implications for the DUP and the wider unionist community in Northern Ireland.