# Donaldson Appeals Rape Convictions | Sheffield News Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369/donaldson-appeals-rape-convictions-sheffield-news Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369/donaldson-appeals-rape-convictions-sheffield-news.md Podcast: [Sheffield News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now!](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369) Published: 2026-07-18T05:44:45+00:00 Episode link: https://sources.thednn.ai/77c23ff539d34642 Audio file: https://api.fastcast.ai/audio/45c6b71c-2e2e-4b55-b697-e27369b72ea1.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369/episodes/donaldson-appeals-rape-convictions-sheffield-news Duration seconds: 76 ## Resource Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, convicted of 18 sex offenses including rape and indecent assault against children between 1985 and 2008, is preparing to appeal his Newry Crown Court conviction β€” a move aimed at overturning the verdict he’s maintained was false. His legal team has filed appeal papers, with hearings expected in Belfast this autumn. The case has also triggered a Northern Ireland Assembly review into his alleged misconduct during his time as an MLA from 2003 to 2010. His wife, Lady Eleanor Donaldson, was found to have aided and abetted the crimes but avoided criminal conviction due to mental health proceedings. Victims described abuse that began in primary school, while Donaldson showed no visible reaction at sentencing. The legal battle continues as the appeal looms. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: advertise@thednn.ai This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/77c23ff539d34642 ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369/episodes/donaldson-appeals-rape-convictions-sheffield-news/transcription-requests` β€” Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/sheffield-news-today-2-min-news-the-daily-news-now-7590369/donaldson-appeals-rape-convictions-sheffield-news.md` β€” Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.