Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is likely to receive a prison sentence measured in decades rather than years when he returns to court later this year, with legal experts suggesting a term of between 12 and 20 years is the most probable outcome.

Donaldson, 63, was remanded into custody immediately after being convicted by a jury at Newry Crown Court of 18 historical sexual offences, including rape, committed against two girls over a period spanning more than two decades. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Paul Ramsey warned that a “lengthy sentence of imprisonment” was inevitable.

While Northern Ireland has no formal sentencing guidelines equivalent to those used in England and Wales for these historical offences, previous Court of Appeal decisions provide a clear indication of the range available to the judge.

One senior Northern Ireland lawyer, who has examined comparable appellate cases, told Belfast Live the combination of a rape conviction, multiple victims, 18 offences and the prolonged period over which the abuse occurred places Donaldson’s case towards the upper end of sentences imposed for historical child sexual abuse.

“I think the most probable range is in the region of 12 to 20 years,” the lawyer said. “I think that’s likely to be structured as an extended custodial sentence, with a significant period in custody followed by an extended licence period.”

The lawyer said the inclusion of a rape conviction alongside numerous indecent assault convictions substantially increased the likely sentence.

“I don’t think there’ll be a life sentence,” they added. “Having looked at the Court of Appeal authorities, I don’t think it reaches that threshold.”

However, they stressed that a pre-sentence report, due to be prepared before Donaldson returns to court on 25th September, could influence the final outcome.

“If he were assessed as dangerous or presenting a high likelihood of reoffending, then that could aggravate the sentence further. But because of his age and the historic nature of the offences, an extended custodial sentence is more probable.”

After considering comparable Court of Appeal decisions involving historical rape and prolonged child sexual abuse, Judge Ramsey is likely to consider a global sentence somewhere between 16 and 20 years before deciding whether an extended custodial sentence is appropriate.

Unlike England and Wales, where judges can refer to Sentencing Council guidelines, Northern Ireland judges dealing with historical offences rely heavily on previous Court of Appeal judgments.

The most serious offence for which Donaldson was convicted, rape, carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment at the time the offence was committed. His remaining convictions for indecent assault and gross indecency each carry lower statutory maximums, although judges sentence the offending as a whole rather than simply adding together the maximum penalty for every conviction.

Instead, the court will apply what lawyers describe as the “totality principle”, ensuring the overall sentence properly reflects the entirety of the offending without becoming disproportionate. In cases involving multiple victims, judges often treat offences against each victim separately before standing back to assess whether the overall sentence is just.

Several aggravating factors are likely to weigh heavily in Donaldson’s case. These include the number of victims, their young ages when the abuse began, the prolonged period over which the offending took place, the abuse of trust, the total of 18 convictions and the inclusion of rape.

The senior lawyer also pointed to Donaldson maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings and requiring both complainants to give evidence at trial.

“There was no remorse or admission, and the victims were put through a trial, which is recognised as an aggravating factor,” they said.

Potential mitigating factors are far more limited. Donaldson has no prior criminal convictions, and his legal team is expected to emphasise his age, now 63, during the sentencing hearing.

However, because he denied the allegations and was convicted following a trial, he is not entitled to the substantial reduction in sentence available to defendants who plead guilty at an early stage.

The pre-sentence report ordered by Judge Ramsey will also be significant. As well as assessing Donaldson personally, it will help the court determine whether he should be regarded as a dangerous offender, something which could result in an extended custodial sentence.

Under that type of sentence, an offender serves a custodial term before remaining on licence in the community for an extended period after release.

Whatever sentence is ultimately imposed, Donaldson will also be subject to mandatory notification requirements as a convicted sex offender and is expected to face additional restrictions through a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The case returns for a pre-sentencing hearing at Newry Crown Court on 25th September. Until then, Donaldson remains in custody at Maghaberry Prison following his conviction.

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A long-delayed military spending plan will be published on Tuesday, with Sir Keir Starmer saying it would keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the defence investment plan (DIP) includes £5bn worth of investment to increase the Armed Forces’ use of drones and autonomous weapons.

Earlier this month, the Treasury and No 10 agreed a £13.5bn funding increase, well short of the £28bn the MoD wanted – though new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has pushed for more in recent weeks. His predecessor John Healey resigned over the funding row.

The Conservatives said the plan was “too little, too late”, while the Liberal Democrats said it “dangerously short-changed our Armed Forces”.

Before releasing the DIP, the MoD provided an outline of some of its contents, including:

Despite his impending departure from Downing Street, Prime Minister Sir Keir is pushing ahead with the DIP.

Tense Whitehall negotiations over how to fund it have been ongoing for months, with departments across government asked to make cuts.

The row has seen two defence ministers resign over what they said was an inadequate funding increase in the original version of the plan.

The DIP will also explain how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade.

It was initially expected to be published in autumn 2025. Following months of talks over funding, the DIP now arrives shortly before the Nato leaders summit in Turkey on 7 July.

Earlier this month, Healey quit the government, saying the DIP fell “well short” of what is needed to protect the UK and meet existing spending commitments, while Armed Forces Minister Al Carns quit saying it was not “transformative enough” in the face of rapidly-evolving warfare.

It has been reported Jarvis has secured some extra money for the plan. He has has also spent the last two weeks “refocusing” the DIP to take on more of the lessons from Ukraine and Iran, the MoD said.

This includes how drones have been used to destroy high-value targets, with Jarvis saying the “character of warfare is rapidly changing”.

He said: “In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts.

“This largest ever UK investment into these evolving technologies will help our Armed Forces stay ahead of our adversaries, backed by the best of our defence industry.”

The Ministry of Defence has said plans to replace ageing warship will be scrapped in favour of building at least six new modern “hybrid” vessels equipped to deploy drones.

Sir Keir said there would be “game-changing investment” to strengthen the Armed Forces on land, at sea and in the air.

He said: “Today’s defence investment plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future.”

His remarks come after unions and defence firms warned the continued delays to the DIP were a “threat” to British jobs, skills and national security.

A report has revealed the measures being taken by Police Scotland to deal with cyber attacks by criminals during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

Major steps have been taken by police to combat damaging cyber attacks by criminals during the Commonwealth Games, the Daily Record can reveal.

It’s feared any assault on the games’ IT and computer infrastructure could affect the smooth running of the ten day competition and cause chaos and confusion at the various events.

There are also fears that the public could fall victim to cyber criminals who set up fake websites to sell tickets to see the competitors. Glasgow sports fans then turn up at venues to discover the tickets are invalid and have been duped out of large sums of money.

A further fear is that hackers using the fake websites could put out wrong information on venues and locations causing chaos on the day of events.

Any breach of the IT system by cyber criminals could also affect the timing systems used in competitions.

A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) has revealed that a Police Scotland cyber team has linked up with the National Crime Agency who are responsible for investigating serious and organised crime across the UK.

The report also details the measures put in place to prevent and deal with any cyber attacks during the ten day event in Glasgow.

It said: “Key cyber-related risks have been explicitly recognised, including potential disruptive attacks, fraud-related activity and emerging technological risks.

“Experienced cyber investigators are available. Plans are in place for misinformation management, with messaging being developed to provide clarity and reassurance to the public where misinformation is considered a potential risk.

“Planning activity is progressing well between the Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre, Police Scotland, the Organising Company, the National Crime Agency and cyber security partners.

“The group has arranged a series of meetings to explore the coordination structures that would be activated, in the event of a cyber incident.

“The partners will continue to assess cyber threat levels and undertake scenario planning to develop a proportionate response.

“They also intend to establish a daily multi-agency cyber situational awareness group during the Games – as implemented for other major events – to monitor the broader cyber threat.”

A “dedicated Police Scotland communications cell” will also operate during the Games to coordinate any response to a cyber attack or attacks.

Major sporting occasions have been targeted by hackers and cyber criminals in the recent past. Prior to the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in Australia police and organisers blocked 176,000 pieces of malware.

At the time one official described the situation as “the Wild West”, saying various attempted cyber attacks had been launched.

Malware is a programme specifically designed to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Cyber criminals use it to steal sensitive data, extort victims, hijack devices, and bypass security.

Major disruption was caused by a cyber attack which hit the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February 2018.

The official Games website, television and Internet systems were disrupted for about 12 hours, with problems arising just before the start of the ceremony.

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The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 to August 2. It will be a slimmed down event with 3,000 athletes from 74 nations competing in ten sports including swimming and cycling.

Glasgow, who hosted the games in 2014, agreed to hold them for a second time after the State of Victoria in Australia withdrew as host in 2023 due to mounting costs.

The 67 page HMICS report also looked at law enforcement plans for the Games

HM Assistant Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, Brian McInulty, said: “We found that Police Scotland has established a strong and credible foundation for the policing of the Games.

“We found planning is intelligence-led, risk aware and informed by learning from previous major events and high-profile visits. Collaborative working within intelligence, cyber and counter-terrorism functions has been well established.”

Police Scotland Gold Commander Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said: “We are aware of the potential for cyber-attacks which are often led by organised crime groups. We will continue to assess cyber threat levels in the run up to and during the Games.

“Managing cyber-risk has been a core part of the planning process and during the Games we have will have specialist cyber investigators available. Our preparedness also includes testing and exercising various scenarios, such as cyber threats, to ensure an effective and coordinated response to incidents.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 ahead of a House of Commons Public Accounts Committee hearing, the Money Saving Expert founder said customers should know exactly what they’ll pay when they sign a contract.

“I’d love to see all price hikes banned during fixed contracts,” Lewis said. “But I accept that companies argue their costs can change. A fair compromise is simple: don’t allow prices to rise by more than inflation during the contract.”

Lewis believes such a rule would leave “99 per cent of consumers better off” while still allowing firms some flexibility if costs increase.

The consumer champion was particularly critical of broadband contracts, where two-year deals have become the norm.

“If you’re signing up for 24 months, you now have to factor in two separate price rises just to work out what the contract will really cost,” he said.

He also warned that the cheapest deals are rarely available directly from providers.

“The biggest savings usually come through comparison sites because they include marketing incentives like gift cards or cashback that aren’t available if you go direct.”

Lewis said one of the biggest flaws in the current system is that providers can still increase prices after customers have signed a contract.

Although firms must tell customers in advance, he argued the rules don’t work in practice.

“Most people don’t react when they receive a notification email. They react when they see the higher bill land. By then, the 30-day window to leave penalty-free has often expired.”

He wants customers to be given two opportunities to cancel without paying exit fees: once after notification of a price rise, and again after the increased bill arrives.

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Lewis also criticised Ofcom’s current pricing rules, saying they had failed to deliver for consumers.

“Seventy-five per cent of people are paying more under the new system than they did under the old one,” he said, citing MoneySavingExpert analysis of 45,000 broadband and mobile tariffs.

“Almost everyone is seeing above-inflation increases during their contract. That’s simply not fair.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said the regulator shared Lewis’s aim of ensuring consumers receive telecoms services “at a fair price”.

The regulator said its rules were designed to give customers “complete clarity upfront” about the prices they would pay throughout their contract and confirmed it will carry out an in-depth review of the pricing transparency rules, with findings due to be published next year.

The Met Office says a return to heatwave conditions is looking “increasingly likely” next week with 40C forecast

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The Met Office has warned the UK could soon experience another heatwave – with weather models now indicating Britain might witness its hottest day on record.

Met Office forecaster Neil Armstrong has stated this week should stay “pleasant” for most areas, with temperatures anticipated to hover largely in the low to mid-20s. This comes after last week’s record-breaking heatwave which delivered the warmest June day ever recorded – 37.7C.

The GFS weather model indicates further records could tumble next week. The current all-time temperature record in the UK stands at 40.3C – which occurred during the blistering July 2022 heatwave – but data suggests we could be mere days away from witnessing 41C.

GFS model maps for next Monday indicate highs of 35C to 36C are possible throughout much of southern, eastern and central England at approximately 6pm. Highs of 33C are forecast as far north as Yorkshire, with 31C expected in South Wales.

Temperatures could then climb to unprecedented levels next Tuesday.

The maps indicate highs of 40C and 41C from Yorkshire southwards to London and throughout the east of the country, reports the Mirror.

Cambridgeshire is among 17 counties expected to see highs above 40C.

Conditions should then moderate on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching 35C in the south-east, according to the GFS weather model.

Temperature anomaly maps for next Tuesday depict the UK shaded in red and black. This indicates that temperatures are forecast to soar considerably above the seasonal average.

The GFS model suggests as many as 17 counties could experience temperatures of 40C or higher. They are all in England.

UK counties facing 40C or more next week.

• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Leicestershire
• Warwickshire
• Northamptonshire
• Norfolk
• Suffolk
• Cambridgeshire
• Bedfordshire
• Oxfordshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Hertfordshire
• Essex
• Surrey
• Kent

The Met Office has indicated that a return to heatwave conditions appears “increasingly likely” as we approach next week. Nevertheless, the national weather service states that, currently, the probability of “extreme high temperatures” similar to those experienced last week remains low.

Met Office forecaster Tony Wisson said: “The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s across parts of England, perhaps 30C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s in Wales.

“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”

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Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate have published the figures in its latest accounts for the financial year ending October 31 2025.

The business, has five cafe tearooms, including one in York, plus an online business and a craft bakery. It also produces a range of teas, including Yorkshire Tea, as well as coffees.

The annual accounts report group revenue increased 2% from £319.2 million in 2024 to £325.7 million in 2025.

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However, operating profit declined by 5% from £29.2 million to £27.7 million.

Yet, the profit after tax increased 2.5 per cent to £21.3million.

A strategic report described the year as ‘positive’ but said the company had faced rising raw material costs, including record prices for coffee, leading the company to increase its prices.

Customer numbers at cafes fell 3% due to lower footfalls in high streets, it continued.

Bettys cafe in York (Image: Pic supplied)

The report said Yorkshire Tea increased its market share 1.6 per cent to 41.6% of its market, but sales of black tea fell slightly. However, sales of decaffeinated and other teas increased by £4million to 35% of its sector.

Coffee enjoyed an 8.8% growth for coffee bags, giving the company 81.6% of this particular market.

Bettys and Taylors also said that in ‘catering and retail experience’ the business suffered “high growth in employment costs” and it was “adversely affected” by higher National Insurance charges.

The number of staff increased from 1,612 to 1,635 and remuneration of the highest paid director went up from £457,000 to £542,000. The total remuneration for directors increased from 31,423,000 to £1,537,000.

The amount paid in wages and salaries increased from £60,2million to £64,4million. With social security and pensions provisions, the increase was from £69.0million to £75,2million.

Bettys is an iconic North Yorkshire business (Image: Pic supplied)

In the US market sales suffered a £3.4 million reduction to £12.33million primarily due to terms with a certain supply as well as uncertainty caused by tariff changes.

The UK market contributed £304.4 million to the overall £325.7 million turnover.

The year also saw the release of Yorkshire Tea Iced, which is a cold tea made with Yorkshire Gold loose-leaf tea, and Cheesy Rascals, a savoury alternative to Fat Rascals, the annual report added.

Work has taken place former NatWest building, which sits on the corner of Market Street and Church Street in Farnworth.

It follows a previous planning application to build a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) on the site that was rejected.

The NatWest bank building at Market Street, Farnworth, has been vacant since the branch closed in May 2025.

Rob Tyler, who spotted the work, said: “The structure appears highly incongruous with the character of the original building, consisting of modern corrugated metal and industrial-style shutters.

“Its appearance is starkly at odds with the historic red-brick façade and detailing of the former bank.”

The work seems to be controversial. (Image: Paul Sanders)

The building had plans previously to be turned into a seven-bedroom HMO.

The applicant said at the time, the change of use of the building would introduce “residential accommodation within a predominantly commercial building, supporting a mixed-use environment and ensuring the long-term viable use of a currently vacant property.”

Mr Tyler added: “From a public perspective, the addition has significantly impacted the visual character of this prominent corner site.

“Rather than enhancing or sensitively adapting a listed building, the new structure gives the impression of a temporary or makeshift installation and detracts from the overall appearance of the town centre.

“Given the importance of maintaining the character of Farnworth’s historic buildings, I believe this issue is of wider public interest.”

Shutters on the former NatWest building. (Image: Paul Sanders)

Concerns have also been raised about the shutters causing an aesthetic dampener on the once rich historic architecture.

The company behind this expansion, or individual, is not yet known.

The building, of Victorian origin, has long been admired by many Farnworth residents for its architectural merits.

It first opened as a branch of the Bank of Bolton, designed by architect George Woodhouse in 1877.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “The property is not listed and not in a Conservation Area.

“The development of a front extension requires planning permission and there is currently no planning application in place for this.

“Planning Enforcement has opened an investigation into the matter.”