Jeffrey Donaldson could face more than 10 years in jail for child sexual abuse, court told

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist party in Northern Ireland, could be sent to prison for more than 10 years over the sexual assault of two women when they were children, a court heard on Friday.The disgraced politician, who headed the DUP between 2021 and 2024, was found guilty of 18 counts of sexual abuse including one count of rape against the women in June.Recounting the case, Rosemary Walsh KC reminded Judge Ramsey how the distress felt by Complainant B while giving evidence was “palpable” in the court room.Referring to a victim statement already with the judge, she told how Complainant B had described the trial as “a terrible experience” and how the abuse she suffered as a child “affected her every day” of her life.Sometimes she struggled so much she “wishes she could die”, Walsh said, adding that as a result of the abuse she “does not know what love and trust really is”.The other victim, Complainant A, wrote in her victim impact statement that she felt her childhood had been “stolen from her” and this had led to feelings of shame and anger.Her sleep and sense of wellbeing were affected to this day and sometimes she felt burnt out from the emotional stress.Walsh spoke of various tariffs for the offences, several of which carried a maximum sentence of two years, but others which carried a maximum sentence of between 10 and 14 years under historical tariffs for crimes, she told the court.She said historical legislation did not differentiate between a child and an adult victim in all the counts, so the disparity in age between Donaldson and his victims should be considered an “aggravating” factor in sentencing.She said Complainant B was “nine or 10” during some of the offending by Donaldson when he was 25 or 26 years old. She had described how she felt “sick” when he abused her and “wanted to scream out” but thought it was her fault.Complainant B suffered other types of sexual assault by Donaldson when she was as young as “seven or eight”.Donaldson, 63, who is planning to appeal, sat stony-faced throughout the 70-minute pre-sentencing hearing in Newry courthouse.Kieran Vaughan KC urged the judge to take into account several “mitigating” factors including Donaldson’s current age and that he was a man of “previous good character”.He also told the court “there was no offending of this type” in the past 18 years and during this time Donaldson had significant achievements which were “obliterated” by the conviction.Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor, has already lodged an appeal against the court’s finding that she had committed acts alleged in relation to five of the charges he had faced.She was found unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds, meaning the jury was asked to find out if she did or did not commit the acts of which she was accused.She cannot be sent to jail but is appealing to have the court conclusions overturned.Donaldson is expected to be sentenced next month.