Prosecutors seek more than a decade in prison for Jeffrey Donaldson

Prosecutors have told a court that Jeffrey Donaldson should be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two women when they were children, The Guardian reported. Donaldson is a former leader of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, a position he held from 2021 to 2024. He was found guilty in June of 18 counts of sexual abuse involving the two women, including one count of rape.

Prosecutors said the age difference between Donaldson and his victims was an aggravating factor in the case. The supplied report does not provide the ages of the victims, the dates of the offences or the details of the evidence heard during the trial. The material also does not state when the sentence will be imposed, whether the defence has argued for a shorter term or whether Donaldson has made a statement in response to the prosecution’s request.

It does not identify the court or give the judge’s comments. The case concerns conduct that took place when the two women were children. The Guardian’s report describes Donaldson as a disgraced former politician and identifies the prosecution’s request, but the supplied material does not include any response from the Democratic Unionist Party.

The sentence will determine the prison term, if any, following the convictions. The available information supports the prosecution’s call for more than 10 years but does not indicate the court’s eventual decision.