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.