Jeffrey Donaldson’s first night in prison as downfall shakes NI politics

Donaldson’s demise was laid bare in graphic detail over the course of his four-week trial.

Throughout some harrowing testimony he sat defiant with his arms folded.

According to those who know him best it was classic Donaldson, giving nothing away in the most pressurised of environments.

For them there was never any doubt that he would take the stand.

As a skilled politician with decades of experience of dealing with difficult questions he backed himself to convince the jury of his innocence.

But it didn’t work.

The Donaldson downfall has also come at a cost to the DUP.

The former leader was suspended from the party after his arrest and then automatically expelled after two years passed in March in keeping with DUP rules.

During that time the party has steered clear of any public comment to allow “justice to take its course”.

But privately the DUP has felt betrayed and disillusioned by the actions of their former leader.

Some within the party blamed him for the loss of three Westminster seats two years ago.

According to senior DUP sources, his arrest and charge with child sex abuse offences dominated discussions on the doorsteps in the run up to the election.

“All they wanted to talk about was Jeffrey and the accusations of child sex abuse, there was just no escaping it,” said the source.