Jeffrey Donaldson convicted

[scenario8]

Easily lost amongst the far more popular theatre elsewhere today Jeffrey Donaldson finds himself sent down for various sexual offences.

What a .

His wife doesn’t come up smelling roses either.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwy2qp32d1pt

I thought there had been a thread running. It is possible PH deleted it as per their occasional stance on criminal proceedings. Apologies if this is a duplicate to another thread.

[smn159]

Child abuse and rape, aided and abetted in some instances by his wife.

What a appalling individual - hope he gets the longest possible sentence.

[nickfrog]

Maybe we should stop this "Sir", "Lord" bks.

[S600BSB]

smn159 said:

Child abuse and rape, aided and abetted in some instances by his wife.

What a appalling individual - hope he gets the longest possible sentence.

Well said.

[Bonefish Blues]

S600BSB said:

smn159 said:

Child abuse and rape, aided and abetted in some instances by his wife.

What a appalling individual - hope he gets the longest possible sentence.

Well said.

There's something particularly obscene about a female aiding these offences. I dearly hope she's not doing an Ernest Saunders...

[Blue62]

Bonefish Blues said:

There's something particularly obscene about a female aiding these offences. I dearly hope she's not doing an Ernest Saunders...

Sounds like she may be playing that card, but we don’t know the full facts. Funny how a thread about child abuse and rape isn’t gaining much traction in here, it’s usually a pile on.

[butchstewie]

I'm ignorant on Irish politics so I know the name but that's as far as it goes.

Wife sounds a piece of work and very brave of the victims to come forward.

Is this one of those where there have been mutterings/suspicions or was it an absolute out of left field one?

[Mortarboard]

Donaldson would likely be more upset at you describing him as an Irish politician, than getting caught for sexual assault.

M.

[kevinon]

There was almost something smug about Donaldson, one former colleague recalled. He is very manipulative, very controlling and gives off an air that believes he is on a mission from God, someone with a direct instruction from above.

For those "on a mission from God" - do they start without morals, or does 'their mission' absolve them of morals?



In the 1990s Donaldson apologised to Complainant B during a meeting at a County Antrim Christian centre and in 2020 wrote a letter to Complainant A expressing regret for causing hurt, pain and distress and asking forgiveness for a sinful nature .

Under cross-examination Donaldson brazened it out and said those apologies referenced not abuse but unrelated matters and accused his accusers of making up the allegations. His barrister, Kieran Vaughan, questioned the complainants credibility and honesty. We say the evidence shows that nothing happened.


He still wears his 'fish' brooch to signal his Christianity. Jesus fkin wept.

edit to add the link - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/22/in...

[hidetheelephants]

Are there any ulster politicians who aren't closet cases?

[Wheel Turned Out]

I'm almost more appalled his wife got a trial of facts.

[smn159]

Blue62 said:

Funny how a thread about child abuse and rape isn t gaining much traction in here, it s usually a pile on.

Hmm, what's different about this case I wonder

2 tier outrage?

[RabidGranny]

Wheel Turned Out said:

I'm almost more appalled his wife got a trial of facts.

that is nearly as bad. she facilitated it and yet essentially walks.

This news has been swallowed up by the PM news but at the same time in NI this is seismic.

[Ascayman]

Heard about this earlier a horrible story involving two repugnant individuals.

Awful.

[Crumpet]

smn159 said:

Blue62 said:

Funny how a thread about child abuse and rape isn t gaining much traction in here, it s usually a pile on.

Hmm, what's different about this case I wonder

2 tier outrage?

Probably because there’s a massive difference between isolated horrible individuals, who’ve always existed, and wholesale countrywide abuse.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

nickfrog said:

Maybe we should stop this "Sir", "Lord" bks.

Was going to say the same. There needs to be an immediate stripping of any titles following any major conviction.

[RabidGranny]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

nickfrog said:

Maybe we should stop this "Sir", "Lord" bks.

Was going to say the same. There needs to be an immediate stripping of any titles following any major conviction.

it won't carry much positive weight where he is sitting

[iphonedyou]

Crumpet said:

Probably because there s a massive difference between isolated horrible individuals, who ve always existed, and wholesale countrywide abuse.

That's patently not the difference here, though. Some of his core voter base would be, and have been, up in arms over similar crimes carried out (or alleged to have been carried out) by minorities.

The Ballymena riots of 2025 are probably the latest notable examples, though the trouble wasn't limited to Ballymena.

[Rusty Old-Banger]

smn159 said:

Blue62 said:

Funny how a thread about child abuse and rape isn t gaining much traction in here, it s usually a pile on.

Hmm, what's different about this case I wonder

2 tier outrage?

What do you think is the reason? Genuine question looking for a specific answer, I'm not up on NI politics.

[RabidGranny]

Rusty Old-Banger said:

smn159 said:

Blue62 said:

Funny how a thread about child abuse and rape isn t gaining much traction in here, it s usually a pile on.

Hmm, what's different about this case I wonder

2 tier outrage?

What do you think is the reason? Genuine question looking for a specific answer, I'm not up on NI politics.

NI is an anomaly. People (like you-and no offence) don't understand the province or its dynamic. On the one side we have the Unionists, who 'can be' Bible bashing fundamentalist Presbyterian etc and Loyal to the crown and like to 'March the Kings Highway' once a year. On the other side we have the Republicans, who want a united Ireland and can veer to hard left, depending on policy, and have a presence on the south of the Border in politics. They also have a strong terrorist undercurrent.

Then, in the middle you have the middle class people (who generally are civil servants in NI) who just want to get on with life.

Then we have the scandal itself, sexual abuse of minors, preeminent on the Catholic side of the equation since 1992 with the Fr Brendan Smith conviction, right up to today. What today shows us is that such abuse was endemic in Irish (or island of Ireland) society for years, be it by individuals or organisations and by those facilitating them . The south had a report publish last week into multiple cases of abuse by a well connected coach which was swept under the carpet by local police and politicians to which the abuser was well connected.

Edited by RabidGranny on Tuesday 23 June 14:29