Born in East Garafraxa, Ontario, Donaghby moved to British Columbia settling in North Vancouver where he practiced law.
[1] He subsequently acted as city solicitor for North Vancouver and was also head of the Burrard Inlet Tunnel and Bridge Company.
In one case in the 1930s, as city solicitor, he prosecuted Joe Celona who had become the chief target of Vancouver's "war on crime".
Donaghy was particularly offended by the fact that Celona's brothel at the Maple Hotel was frequented by Chinese men.
He told the court, "There are no words in the English language to describe the abhorrence of white prostitutes being procured exclusively for the yellow men from China," and was aghast "That these girls should be submitted to crawling yellow beasts of the type frequenting such dives.