Eleanor Donaldson has filed an application to appeal the verdict reached in her trial of the facts, which determined she had committed the acts alleged across all five charges brought against her.
Four of the charges related to aiding and abetting offences committed by her husband, Jeffrey Donaldson. The Northern Ireland Courts Service confirmed on Thursday that Eleanor Donaldson's legal representatives had lodged an application for leave to appeal with the Court of Appeal.
This development follows the conclusion of Eleanor Donaldson's trial of the facts at Newry Crown Court. Due to mental health unfitness to stand trial, she underwent this alternative legal process rather than a conventional trial, resulting in a finding that she committed the acts but could not be sentenced to imprisonment.
Background to the case
Eleanor Donaldson's trial followed that of her husband, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former Democratic Unionist Party leader. He was convicted of 18 counts of child sex abuse, including one count of rape, which he perpetrated against two women when they were children. The trial of both defendants began in May 2026 following a pre-trial hearing at Newry Crown Court.
What happens next
The Court of Appeal will now consider whether to grant Eleanor Donaldson leave to appeal the trial of the facts verdict. The outcome of this application will determine whether a full appeal hearing proceeds.
