Ex DUP leader Donaldson guilty of child sex abuse charges including one of rape
Key takeaways
- The 63-year-old former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader showed no emotion and sat in the dock with his hands clasped as the verdicts were read out at Newry Crown Court on Monday.
- His wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson had faced a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, meaning the jury was asked to find out if she did the acts or did not do the acts of which she was accused.
- They found that she had done the acts in relation to all five charges – including four counts of aiding and abetting her husband's offending.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Julian O'Neill,Crime and justice correspondentand Luke Sproule,BBC News NIPA Media Jeffrey Donaldson arriving at Newry Crown Court on Monday morning Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been convicted of 18 counts of sex abuse, including one count of rape, which he committed against two women when they were children.
The 63-year-old former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader showed no emotion and sat in the dock with his hands clasped as the verdicts were read out at Newry Crown Court on Monday.
His wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson had faced a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, meaning the jury was asked to find out if she did the acts or did not do the acts of which she was accused.