Ex-DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson's offences include one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency14:25, 22 Jun 2026Updated 14:57, 22 Jun 2026Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of raping a woman when she was a child.The former DUP leader has been found guilty of 18 historical sex offences against two women when they were children at Newry Crown Court.The offences include one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.Sir Donaldson's wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, has also been found to have committed the acts relating to offences of aiding and abetting over historical sex offences following a trial of the facts at the same court.The Northern Irish politician, 63, was told he will be sentenced at the same court in Newry on September 25 and was remanded in custody.He showed no reaction to the verdicts as he stood with his hands folded in front of him. He had pleaded not guilty to the offences, which spanned a period between 1985 and 2008.Both women, referred to as Complainants A and B during the trial, alleged the were abused as children in their evidence. Donaldson spent two days giving evidence during the trial, where he repeatedly denied the allegations.Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, denied several charges of aiding and abetting her husband. She faced a trial of the facts on mental health grounds, which tested the evidence but could not result in a criminal conviction.During his evidence to the trial, the former DUP leader read his own words as he was handed a copy of a letter he had written to Complainant A in June 2020 expressing "regret" over "hurt, pain and distress I have caused".He said this "absolutely [did] not" refer to incidents and abuse, adding that was "not the reason why this letter was written".Asked if he had raped Complainant B, Donaldson said: "It just didn’t happen, I am absolutely crystal clear about that." He told the jury that the concept there had been any inappropriate behaviour with the same girl was "just unbelievable".The ex-MP was asked on several occasions whether his wife Eleanor Donaldson witnessed abuse of either complainant and denied it. At one point he said: "My wife would have gone bananas, that is not something she would have tolerated."Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC began her cross-examination of the former Lagan Valley MP by asking him if the two complainants were lying. Donaldson said: "I’ve told the truth and I believe what has been said is untrue."He then agreed that both complainants were lying. The barrister asked Donaldson if he had started abusing B when she was aged seven or eight because it was "easy" and if it had begun "quite discreetly". He told her: "I am saying that didn’t happen, very clearly saying it."Donaldson also said the prosecution had not been able to provide a specific date or even a year for the rape allegation made by Complainant B.Ms Walsh said: "You could tell us when it happened." Donaldson said: "I don’t know when it was because it did not happen." She asked him why complainant B had "told all these serious lies". He said: "I wish I knew the answer to that question."Ms Walsh turned to allegations made by Complainant A and suggested abuse of her had begun at primary school age with touching outside of clothing. Donaldson said: "No, no, no."The DUP leader has also been accused of using a light to look at at Complainant A's genitals, which he also denied.In 1985, Donaldson, who was then aged 22, was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as the youngest person to win a seat at Stormont.He then became MP for Lagan Valley in 1997, a position which he held continuously until he was forced out of politics in 2024, when police officers knocked on his door about the sex abuse allegations.Donaldson was recognised by the late Queen in her 2016 Birthday Honours and given a knighthood.Article continues belowOne of his career controversies saw him caught up in the MPs' expenses scandal when he apologised for claiming for pay-to-view films during hotel stays in London. He denied these were adult in nature and insisted he had watched the likes of Star Wars and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. He repaid around £600.This is a Breaking News story. You’ll be more likely to see our stories when any big news breaks in future by simply by clicking this link. You can also join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.