BELFAST — Former Northern Ireland politician Jeffrey Donaldson has filed documents with Belfast’s Court of Appeal seeking to challenge his convictions on historic child sex offenses, the BBC reported Friday.
Last month, the 63-year-old was found guilty on all 18 charges against him — including one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault, and four counts of gross indecency. The offenses spanned a 23-year period and involved two women who were children at the time.
A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Donaldson’s legal team did not respond to a request for comment regarding the appeal.
Donaldson had been among Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures when he was arrested and charged back in March 2024. He stepped down immediately as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland, following his arrest. Last month, he also requested that his knighthood from the British monarch be renounced.
