Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison

Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison for 18 offences against two women when they were children. Judge Paul Ramsey imposed the term at Newry Crown Court, with sentences for the offences against each complainant to run consecutively. Donaldson received 11 years for offences against one woman and four years for offences against the other. The court heard the offences took place between 1985 and 2008. The sentencing judge described the case as disturbing and said the abuse had left a permanent mark on both women. He cited their ages and the duration of the offending as factors in the sentence. A jury convicted Donaldson in June of one assault, 13 indecent assaults and four counts of gross indecency. The women gave evidence during the trial. In victim impact statements, they described lasting effects on their lives, including difficulties with trust and relationships, and feelings of shame and distress. Donaldson denied the charges and has lodged appeal papers against his convictions.