During a pre-sentence hearing at Newry Crown Court on Friday, Donaldson appeared for the first time since his conviction in June.
asserted
Donaldson → appear → June
Judge Paul Ramsey told the ex-MP that he would be sentenced next month.
asserted
he → tell → MP
Donaldson, 63, was convicted of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children.
asserted
they → convict → women
The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008.
asserted
offences → commit → 1985
The former Lagan Valley MP has been in Maghaberry prison awaiting sentencing since then.
asserted
MP → await → sentencing
His wife Eleanor Donaldson, 60, was found to have aided and abetted his crimes after a trial of the facts, which was granted on mental health grounds.
asserted
which → find → grounds
During Jeffrey Donaldson’s trial earlier this year, the two victims gave evidence against him.
asserted
victims → give → him
Complainant A gave evidence of inappropriate touching and kissing by Donaldson and an incident where he used a light to examine her genitals.
asserted
he → give → genitals
Complainant B told the trial she had been raped as a child of primary school age by Donaldson and later sexually assaulted by him.
asserted
she → tell → him
Donaldson had denied the offences but the jury convicted him of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.
asserted
jury → deny → indecency
During the hearing on Friday, Donaldson appeared in the dock wearing a navy suit and a pink tie.
asserted
Donaldson → appear → suit
Judge Paul Ramsey told the court he had received written submissions as well as victim impact statements from the two victims and a pre-sentence report on Jeffrey Donaldson.
asserted
he → tell → Donaldson
Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC told the hearing she would outline the “salient facts” in the case.
asserted
she → tell → case
She pointed out that the offending against both victims had begun when they were of primary school age.
asserted
they → point → age
She went through the 18 offences, setting out the starting points for sentencing.
asserted
She → go → sentencing
Referring to the victim impact statement of Complainant B, she said she had described the trial process as a “terrible experience”.
asserted
she → refer → experience
She said the abuse B had suffered had affected “every day of every relationship she has had since then”.
asserted
she → say → relationship
She said the woman wished on a daily basis she could die and had guilt about not reporting the offences to police earlier.
uncertain
she → say → police
She said that being accused in court of “making it all up” made it worse.
asserted
it → say → it
The barrister referred to the victim impact statement of Complainant A who said she feels her “childhood was stolen from her”.
asserted
childhood → refer → her
Ms Walsh said the physical impact of the abuse she suffered “affects her sleep and sense of wellbeing on a daily basis” and that she suffers stress and anxiety.
asserted
she → say → stress
The barrister said with regards to sentencing, there are a “significant” number of aggravating factors in the case.
She said: “The youth of both victims has to be considered to be an aggravating factor.”
asserted
youth → say → victims
She also pointed to the “protracted nature” of the offending which occurred over a number of years.
asserted
which → point → years
With regard to the rape offence, she said it could be inferred there was an element of “degree of planning and preparation on a common sense view”.
uncertain
it → say → view
Jeffrey Donaldson’s barrister Kieran Vaughan KC said he acknowledged “given the nature of the offences that the court will impose a lengthy custodial sentence”.
asserted
court → say → sentence
He said he had “complete confidence” the court would treat Donaldson the same as any other defendant.
asserted
court → say → defendant
He said the former politician was now 63 and a man of “previous good character” and there had been no offending in the past 18 years.
asserted
politician → say → years
The barrister said that Donaldson “did achieve significant things in his life”.
asserted
Donaldson → say → life
But he added: “These convictions obliterate all those achievements he has made in his life.”
asserted
he → add → life
Mr Vaughan said that is something Donaldson “will have to live with”.
asserted
Donaldson → say → ?
Judge Ramsey said he was not in a position to sentence Donaldson at the moment.
asserted
he → say → moment
Addressing him in the dock, he said: “I will sentence you as soon as I can next month.”
asserted
I → address → you
Since his conviction, Jeffrey Donaldson has been stripped of his knighthood and removed from the Privy Council.
asserted
Donaldson → strip → Council
His solicitor has previously confirmed that papers have been lodged for an appeal.
asserted
papers → confirm → appeal
Eleanor Donaldson has lodged an appeal against the outcome of her trial of the facts.
asserted
Donaldson → lodge → facts
The Aporia
