The wife of former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Donaldson has been placed under a supervision order for three years.

Appearing before Newry Crown Court, via video link, for the first time since 2025, a tearful Eleanor Donaldson was also told she would be placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

When Judge Paul Ramsey asked if she understood that she would be subjected to a supervision treatment order (STO), she nodded her head and said "yes".

Eleanor Donaldson could not be given a prison sentence as she faced a 'trial of the facts' as it was determined she was medically unfit for a criminal trial.

She was found to have done the acts in relation to five charges, including four of aiding and abetting her husband's offending.

Last month Jeffrey Donaldson was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a series of child sex offences against two victims, including one count of rape, which took place between 1985 and 2008. He is seeking to appeal against his convictions.

The 60-year-old appeared on screen in the court for less than three minutes, dressed in black with two large cuts on her forehead. She kept her eyes closed and head tilted down throughout.

While her husband was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Judge Paul Ramsey had four options available to him in dealing with Eleanor Donaldson under mental health legislation.

They included a hospital order, a guardianship order, absolute discharge or a supervision treatment order (STO).

It was on the advice of two medical experts that an STO was the "most appropriate" of those options. Neither the prosecution nor defence objected to this.

Judge Ramsey explained to Donaldson the terms of her STO – including that she would be under the supervision of a social worker within the Craigavon Community Mental Health Team, with whom she would be required to keep in touch, attend appointments and submit to any required treatment.

Before the judge addressed Donaldson at the conclusion of the 30-minute hearing, prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh KC referred to victim impact statements, that spoke of anger and questions of why the offending happened.

Walsh KC said "pain permeated" through the statements of the two victims in the case.

A trial of the facts is an option that is open to prosecutors if a court determines that a person is unfit to stand trial and criminal proceedings cannot go ahead.

It takes the place of a criminal trial and is used to determine whether an accused committed the acts alleged.

It cannot result in a conviction, but if the court is not satisfied that the accused committed the acts alleged, then he/she will be acquitted.

The procedure is allowed for in legislation by Article 49A of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.

The mechanism is not used often but one high-profile example was in the trial of former IRA leader Ivor Bell in 2019.