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LAST UPDATE | 4 hrs ago
FORMER DUP LEADER Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty at Newry Crown Court of multiple sexual offences against two women when they were children.
The 63-year-old former politician had pleaded not guilty to 18 sexual offences including one count of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four of gross indecency.
The offences took place on dates between 1985 and 2008.
His wife Eleanor Donaldson has been found to have aided and abetted his crimes following a trial of the facts.
The jury returned its verdict at 2.15pm on Monday afternoon.
Here’s how the afternoon played out.
- Reporting by Diarmuid Pepper at Newry Crown Court, with Daragh Brophy and Cliodhna Travers
Our reporter Diarmuid Pepper is at Newry Crown Court, where verdicts are set to be confirmed.
We’ll have more detail on the various charges shortly – right now, Diarmuid tells us from court that Donaldson’s response was ”emotionless, no reaction”.
He has been remanded in custody, and the judge has made comments referring to the ”inevitably of a lengthy prison sentence”.
Donaldson will be sentenced on Friday 25 September, with a review date ahead of that on 11 September.
The former DUP leader will be placed on the sex offender’s register, the judge has said.
More detail on the verdicts:
“You may take Mr Donaldson down,” the judge has told the PSNI officers on duty in the courtroom.
Donaldson has been allowed remain at home throughout the trial but will taken straight to prison now – and as things currently stand, we won’t see him in a courtroom again until September.
Photographer Liam McBurney snapped these photos earlier as Donaldson arrived ahead of the day’s proceedings.
Reporters are still awaiting Donaldson to be taken from the court.
A few dozen people have gathered outside the courthouse in Newry in the wake of the verdicts.
Some more detail on what happened after the verdicts were read out from the Press Assocation’s Jonathan McCambridge, in court:
At 2.15pm Donaldson was asked to stand as the court clerk asked the foreman of the jury to read the verdicts.
After the verdicts were delivered, Judge Paul Ramsey expressed his “gratitude and thanks” to the jury.
Before they left the room, the jury members were extended exemption from jury service for life.
Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC then confirmed that victim impact statements would be prepared ahead of sentencing.
The judge said there would inevitably be a “lengthy sentence of imprisonment”.
Donaldson was remanded into custody and showed no emotion as he was led from the court.
Responding to the verdict in the Jeffrey Donaldson case, SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP said:
“My first thoughts today are with the victims of this abuse, who showed immense courage in coming forward and giving evidence knowing the scrutiny and attention they would face. Their bravery has resulted in justice being done.
“This case should send a clear message that no one is above the law, regardless of their position, profile or influence.
“I hope it gives confidence to victims everywhere that those responsible for abuse can be held accountable.”
The prosecution case, set out before a jury of seven men and five women in Newry, was that Jeffrey Donaldson had sexually assaulted two women when they were children.
They were to be known in proceedings as Complainants A and B, in order to protect their identities.
We’ve just published this detailed piece about the extent of the evidence heard during the four-week trial.
Diarmuid has just sent on this video of Donaldson being taken away from the courthouse in the back of a police van.
On that note, we’ll end our live updates on the verdicts – but we’ll have more coverage of the case on the main site later shortly and throughout the evening.
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