Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of Northern Ireland's DUP, has been jailed for 15 years after convictions for child sex offences against two girls over more than two decades.
01Summary
- 01Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, was sentenced on Thursday by Judge Paul Ramsey in Northern Ireland.
- 02He was convicted in June of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.
- 03The offences were committed against two girls between 1985 and 2008, and Donaldson has denied all the charges.
- 04The judge described the case as “disturbing and disquieting” and said Donaldson had not apologised or expressed shame.
- 05Donaldson is seeking to appeal his convictions and is expected to serve about seven-and-a-half years under automatic remission rules, according to the Lady Chief Justice's Office of Northern Ireland.
02Why it matters
The case removes one of Northern Ireland's best-known unionist politicians from public life and draws attention to abuse allegations at the top of politics. It also matters to readers because it concerns serious crimes, a high-profile appeal, and the impact on the DUP and Stormont politics.
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