Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, was sentenced at Newry Crown Court to 15 years in prison for 18 non-recent child sexual abuse offences, including the rape of a child under 13. The offences occurred between 1985 and 2008 against two girls who were seven years old when the abuse began.

He will remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and is subject to a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, was found to have done the acts alleged in relation to five charges, including four counts of aiding and abetting her husband's abuse, following a trial of the facts.

Both were arrested at their home on 28 March 2024 after police received reports from the two female victims, now adults. They were interviewed at Antrim custody suite and denied the allegations.

Judge Ramsey, in his sentencing remarks, described Donaldson's conviction as a catastrophic descent into disgrace after reaching the very heights of public office. He also praised the victims' courage, resourcefulness, and determination in bringing him to justice.

Donaldson received 11 years for offences against one victim and four years for offences against the other, to run consecutively.

Detective Chief Inspector Leah Crothers of the PSNI's Public Protection Branch said police and the criminal justice system had sent a clear message that no one is above the law.

Political leaders in Northern Ireland paid tribute to the survivors. Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones, and called for increased efforts to end violence against women and girls. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows said the sentence reflected the gravity of the crimes and the lifelong harm inflicted. Alliance deputy leader Eóin Tennyson praised the survivors' courage and called for protecting their anonymity and renewing determination to end violence against women and girls.

The PSNI appealed for anyone with concerns about abuse to come forward, saying it is never too late to seek justice.