Eleanor Donaldson placed on sex offenders' register for aiding husband

Summarised from 5 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 01:57 · Archive

Eleanor Donaldson, wife of disgraced former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, has been placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Eleanor Donaldson, the wife of disgraced former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, has been placed on the sex offenders' register for five years and given a three-year supervision and treatment order by Judge Paul Ramsey at Newry Crown Court on Friday.

She was found to have aided and abetted her husband's offending following a trial of the facts held earlier this year. Eleanor Donaldson, 60, from Dromore, County Down, had faced the trial of the facts after being found unfit to participate in a conventional trial on mental health grounds. She did not attend the court proceedings throughout the trial but was represented by a legal team. A jury found she had done the acts alleged in relation to a number of charges of aiding and abetting her husband's crimes, but she could not be found guilty or sent to prison.

Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, was convicted in June of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children. The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008. He was sentenced to 15 years and will serve half of that in jail.

Eleanor Donaldson appeared briefly on Friday via remote video link when Judge Paul Ramsey explained the court order to her. The Daily Mail reports that she appeared pallid with cuts visible on her forehead, and that this was her first court appearance since February 2025. At the hearing, both victims were present in court.

The court heard from two medical experts on recommendations for the disposal order. The prosecution's barrister, Rosemary Walsh KC, set out the facts of the case and the impact on victims. She said 'pain permeated' throughout the statements from both of the victims. The defence barrister, Ian Turkington KC, said the medical evidence regarding Eleanor Donaldson 'was clear'.

The Daily Mail reports that during the trial of facts, the court heard Eleanor had witnessed one of the assaults but instead of intervening, she walked away and pulled the door shut behind her. She was found to have done the acts alleged in relation to five charges, including four of aiding and abetting her husband's abuse. The Mail also reports she had 'covered up child sex offences committed by her husband for more than two decades'.

How it is being reported

• Appearing via video link with cuts on her forehead and her skin pallid, Eleanor Donaldson learned her fate in front of the two victims who just want to know why she never stopped her DUP leader husband Jeffrey from raping them...They sat in the front row of the public gallery, side by side, two women who had been abused by former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson when they had been little girls.Daily Mail · 13 Nov, 21:33
• Eleanor Donaldson, wife of former DUP leader, placed on sex offender registerJudge imposes three-year treatment order on Donaldson for aiding and abetting sexual offences by her husband, Jeffrey Jeffrey Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor, has been placed on the sex offender register for five years for aiding and abetting sexual offences by her disgraced husband. Eleanor Donaldson appeared via remote link at Newry crown court to hear the order on Friday one month after her husband, the former Democratic Unionist party ( DUP ) leader, was convicted of abusing two women when they were children. Continue reading...The Guardian · 13 Nov, 14:48
• Eleanor Donaldson placed on sex offenders’ register and given supervision orderEleanor Donaldson was found to have aided and abetted husband Jeffrey Donaldson’s offending following a trial of the facts at Newry Crown Court.Evening Standard · 13 Nov, 13:30
• Disgraced politician Jeffrey Donaldson's wife placed on sex offenders' register for 'aiding and abetting' paedophile husbandEleanor Donaldson, wife of Jeffrey Donaldson, the disgraced former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has been placed on the sex offenders' register.Daily Mail · 13 Nov, 13:10
• Eleanor Donaldson placed on sex offenders’ register after disgraced husband jailedFormer MP Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, was convicted in June of 18 sex offences, including one count of rapeThe Independent · 13 Nov, 12:42
• Eleanor Donaldson placed on sex offenders’ register and given supervision orderEleanor Donaldson was found to have aided and abetted husband Jeffrey Donaldson’s offending following a trial of the facts at Newry Crown Court.Evening Standard · 13 Nov, 12:26
• Jeffrey Donaldson's wife Eleanor placed on sex offenders' register after his rape convictionEleanor Donaldson, the wife of disgraced former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, has been placed on the sex offenders' register.Sky News · 13 Nov, 11:55

In this story: Eleanor Donaldson · Jeffrey Donaldson · Democratic Unionist Party · Newry Crown Court · Judge Paul Ramsey · Rosemary Walsh KC

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log