Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison for 18 sexual offences, including the rape of a child.
Donaldson (63) was convicted at Newry Crown Court in June of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children.
He was sentenced 11 years in prison on the rape charge and the other offences against his first victim, and a further four years for the offences committed against his second victim, to run consecutively.
The former Lagan Valley MP has been in Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim awaiting sentencing since the end of the trial.
Sentencing Donaldson on Thursday, Judge Paul Ramsey described it as a “disturbing and disquieting” case.
The court heard that since his conviction, Donaldson has “stoutly maintained his denial of guilt”.
The pre-sentence report provided to the court assessed him as having a “medium” risk of re-offending, the judge said.
The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008.
The two victims gave evidence against Donaldson earlier this year.
Complainant A gave evidence of inappropriate touching and kissing by Donaldson and an incident where he used a light to examine her genitals.
Complainant B told the trial she had been raped as a child of primary-school age by Donaldson and later sexually assaulted by him.
At a pre-sentence hearing last month, extracts from victim-impact statements from the two women were read.
At the pre-sentencing hearing, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh spoke of various tariffs for the offences, several of which carried a maximum sentence of two years. But other offences carried a maximum sentence of between 10 and 14 years under historical tariffs for crimes, she told the court.
She said historical legislation did not differentiate between a child and an adult victim in all the counts, so the disparity in age between Donaldson and his victims should be considered an “aggravating” factor in sentencing. She said Complainant B was “nine or 10” during some of the offending by Donaldson when he was 25 or 26 years old. She had described how she felt “sick” when he abused her and “wanted to scream out” but thought it was her fault.
Complainant B suffered other types of sexual assault by Donaldson when she was as young as “seven or eight”.
Donaldson had denied the offences but the jury convicted him of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency.
Donaldson’s barrister, Kieran Vaughan, said during that hearing that the former politician was a man of “previous good character” who “did achieve significant things”.
But he added: “These convictions obliterate all those achievements he has made in his life.”
Since his conviction, Donaldson has been stripped of his knighthood and removed from the Privy Council.
His solicitor has previously confirmed that papers have been lodged for an appeal.
His wife Eleanor Donaldson (60) was found to have aided and abetted his crimes after a trial of the facts, which was granted on mental health grounds.
She cannot be given a prison sentence but could be given a treatment order or an absolute discharge. The judge is due to decide on this at a later date.
Eleanor Donaldson has lodged an appeal against the outcome of her trial of the facts.