Donaldson found guilty of all charges including rape

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty on 18 sexual offence charges including one count of rape.

The rape charge is the most serious charge of the 18 counts he faced, which arose from allegations by two women that he abused them when they were children.

He was also found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault and four of gross indecency.

The jury of five women and seven men resumed their deliberations at Newry Crown Court this morning at his sex offences trial, taking just over ten hours to return a verdict.

Donaldson gave no reaction as the guilty verdicts were read out.

The judge remanded him in custody saying a "lengthy sentence of imprisonment" was inevitable.

Donaldson was remanded in custody for sentencing on 25 September, with a review hearing earlier that month.

The judge thanked the jury for their close attention over four weeks of evidence.

The judge said that as a result of the conviction, Donaldson would now be placed on the sex offenders register.

When he had finished addressing the defendant, Judge Paul Ramsey told the custody officers to "take Mr Donaldson down".

He was then taken into custody.

Live coverage of Donaldson verdict

His wife Eleanor Donaldson has been found to have committed the acts she was accused of, at her trial on sex offences.

The 60-year-old faced five charges of aiding and abetting her husband's alleged offending.

She was found to have committed the act in all cases.

She was a co-accused alongside her husband, but did not participate in the trial due to concerns about her mental health.

She was subject to a so-called trial of the facts - a non-criminal process.

The jury at Newry Crown Court was asked to decide whether she had committed the acts she had been accused of.