Former leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson has been jailed for 15 years for child sex offences after being convicted of assaulting two women when they were minors.

Donaldson, 63, was unanimously convicted in July of 18 offences including rape, which took place over a 23-year campaign of abuse which was covered up by his wife Eleanor.

The crimes related to two women when they were children and included one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four of gross indecency.

He was arrested and charged in 2024, when he was one of Northern Ireland’s most famous politicians.

Donaldson denied the charges against him, claiming they were ‘unbelievable’, but a jury saw through his claims in July. He has since pledged to appeal his convictions.

Separately, his wife was found to have aided and abetted him by turning a blind eye, despite witnessing some of the abuse, but was too ill to stand trial.

His crimes included kissing one victim, Victim A, and putting his tongue in her mouth when she was of primary school age. He also put his hands up her top to grope her.

The second victim, Victim B, was also in primary school when he raped her. He indecently assaulted her on nine occasions, including once in front of his own wife.

‘Every day I pray God will let me die,’ she told the court today in a written victim impact statement. 

Former leader of the DUP Jeffrey Donaldson has been jailed for child sex offences after being convicted of assaulting two women when they were minors 

A prison van, believed to be carrying former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, arrives at Newry Crown Court ahead of his sentencing on Thursday

When Donaldson’s wife witnessed one of the assaults, instead of intervening, she walked away and pulled the door shut behind her. 

Sentencing Donaldson at Newry Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Paul Ramsey said the ‘disturbing’ case has seen Donaldson ‘stoutly’ deny his guilt and show a lack of responsibility for his offending or empathy for his victims.

Harrowing victim impact statements read out in court described how Victim A has been left with ongoing anxiety, nightmares and extremely low self worth.

The court was told she grew up feeling dirty and ashamed, and carried high levels of anger.

Meanwhile Victim B said in her statement the abuse had affected every relationship she has ever had.

‘Every day I pray God will let me die,’ she added. ‘I wonder what it is like not to be afraid at night.’

Judge Ramsey jailed Donaldson for 11 years for the offences committed against Victim B, and four years for those against Victim A. The sentences will run consecutively.

He remained emotionless before being returned to custody to begin his sentence. 

Donaldson was first elected to Parliament in 1997 and was the longest-serving Northern Ireland MP, representing Lagan Valley in County Down.

He resigned as head of the DUP, which had since launched a ‘focused, independent review’ to establish what was known within the party about Donaldson’s conduct.

After his conviction, Donaldson was stripped of his knighthood.