Jeffrey Donaldson lived with gay DUP colleague while opposing LGBT rights
Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson moved in with a gay DUP colleague during a rocky time in his marriage - despite his public anti-LGBT stance.
As reported by the Belfast Telegraph, the Sunday World first planned to publish this story 15 years ago - but refrained from doing so after Donaldson presented a manufactured pack of lies, which included a bogus claim of imminent suicide.
The individual who opened his home to the aspiring unionist politician was also an elected representative for the Democratic Unionist Party.
He has not been identified here at this time because of the sensitive nature of his current employment.
But when Donaldson’s marriage to the future Lady Eleanor Donaldson hit a troubled patch some years ago, it was to this man he turned to urgently provide him with a place to live.
After he quit the family home, Donaldson moved into his DUP colleague’s comfortable pad where he remained for six months - sparking rumours of a relationship.
The Sunday World was investigating the story of Donaldson’s politician pal to highlight the hypocrisy of the DUP, which was publicly anti-gay rights while many senior members were leading very different lives.
The investigation was launched after the Sunday World were approached by a young man who told us about his secret relationship with Jeffrey Donaldson’s housemate.
Donaldson got wind of the investigation and immediately moved to put a stop to it by any means possible.
Just hours before the story was due to be published, Donaldson approached senior executives at the newspaper, pleading with them for it to be dropped.
Donaldson claimed his friend and fellow DUP politician – the man who had provided him with a refuge during his marriage break-up - was suffering from depression and threatening suicide.
But he made no effort to reach out to the young man who had claimed Donaldson’s housemate had treated him poorly.
Throughout his long political career Donaldson consistently opposed civil partnership and same-sex marriage.
Four years ago - as leader of the DUP - he apologised to the LGBGT+ community for past hurt caused by remarks made by members of his party.
Last week on a BBC Spotlight report by journalist Mandy McAuley, it emerged Donaldson was observed by two senior PSNI officers visiting a gay sauna near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
Two weeks ago, the 63-year-old former DUP leader was convicted on 18 counts of sex abuse, including one of rape. All of the charges related to assaults on two women when they were children.
After a month-long trial at the Crown Court in Newry, Donaldson was remanded to Maghaberry Prison, where he will remain until he returns to court for sentencing.
Jeffrey Donaldson’s wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson - who faced a trial of the facts because she was deemed too unwell to stand trial - was found to have aided and abetted her husband in his criminality.
The Donaldson case sparked news headlines around the world, making it the biggest political/sex scandal to hit Northern Ireland since the foundation of the state more than 100 years ago.
But it was information which came to light 15 years ago which first suggested that Jeffrey Donaldson wasn’t as sweet and wholesome as he made out.
A son of the Kingdom or Mourne, Jeffrey Mark Donaldson was - until his dramatic fall from grace - one of the longest-serving unionist politicians of all time.
As a Knight of the Realm and a Privy Councillor, Donaldson was also trusted with the most sensitive secrets surrounding the security of the United Kingdom.
He literally wore his born-again Christian faith on his lapel, permanently displaying a silver Ichthys symbol above his heart.
And he had also reached the upper echelons of the Orange Order, which is still considered the glue which holds unionism together.
From the staunchly Orange hamlet of Ballinran - where he once played flute in the loyalist band – Donaldson told the press in 2016 he was “delighted and humbled” to accept a royal knighthood.
“I am absolutely delighted to have received this honour and indeed humbled that I would be considered worthy,” he added.
During Donaldson’s meteoric rise to the top of Ulster unionist politics, the Mourne man was the youngest ever politician to take a seat in the Stormont Assembly, at just 22. And during his career he was returned to Westminster a remarkable five times.
But he insisted his new honour and title wouldn’t change him. “I’ll always be plain Jeffrey to my friends and the people I represent,” he said.
Donaldson also delighted in the ‘Daniel O’Donnell look-a-like’ tag bestowed upon him by an enthusiastic public.
During Mandy McAuley’s recent programme on Donaldson, entitled ‘Politician, Predator and Paedophile’, Lady Daphne Trimble - widow of former Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble - spoke about how Donaldson’s actions often made her husband’s life a misery.
And she also addressed the hypocrisy surrounding Donaldson’s self-created image as a man of faith.
“He used his Christianity to hoodwink the public,” she said.
Politics Editor
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