March 2020

Sex beast who raped 13-year-old girl after luring her to Clydebank house jailed for 5 years

A sex attacker who raped a 13 year-old girl has been jailed for five and a half years.

Mark McKinney pounced on his victim after luring her to a house in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire in September 2018.

The 32 year-old also molested another girl of the same age at the flat.

McKinney was today returned to the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier been convicted of rape and sexual assault following a trial earlier this year.

Faifley beast Mark McKinney launched his assault after forcing the girl to take heroin, cocaine, cannabis and booze.

He had previously groomed her through mobile text messages before launching his attack in September 2018.

McKinney denied the charges against him, but forensic examiners found the victim’s DNA under his fingernails after the brutal assault was reported to police.

And he was caught on CCTV walking along the road holding hands with her – despite her young age, and the almost-20-year age gap between them.

Twisted McKinney, of Milldam Road, also took her on a journey to a drug dealer’s house in Drumchapel where he swapped a laptop for a bag of cocaine.

Sentencing, Lord Matthews told him: “The young lady said you had sexual intercourse with her against her will.”

McKinney was also placed on the sex offenders list indefinitely.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Liam Ewing QC told how the rapist had “engineered the situation” to have “some sort of sexual contact” with the girls.

The court heard alcohol was involved making each youngster more “vulnerable”.

October 2019

Violent sex predator battered and threatened to rape woman before being caught by her boyfriend

A violent sex predator caught by his victim’s boyfriend has been jailed for six years.

Steven Shillan pounced on the 34 year-old stranger as she walked in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, in May this year.

The 21 year-old told the terrified woman: “I am going to rape you.”

The victim’s partner happened to be nearby and spotted what was happening.

He yelled: “Get off her. What the f*** are you doing?”

The man dragged Shillan off, but he escaped. However, he was later charged after the woman’s blood was found on his denims and trainers.

Shillan today returned to the High Court in Glasgow having pled guilty to sexually assaulting the victim with intent to rape.

The hearing was told the groundskeeper appeared to have a “deviant interest” in “forced sex”.

Sentencing, Lord Boyd said: “I am in no doubt that had the woman’s partner not arrived and forced you off her, you would have persevered in your bid to rape her.”

Shillan, also of Alexandria, will be supervised for a further two years on his release.

The victim was in court to see her attacker jailed. She was consoled by family after Shillan was taken to the cells.

The court heard how the predator grabbed the woman as she walked near Alexandria’s Argyll Estate.

He put his arm around her neck before punching and kicking her as well as stamping on her face.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire said the force was such his footprint was “clearly visible”.

The hearing was told the victim was left in “no doubt” what Shillan planned.

The bleeding woman yelled and tried to stop Shillan from sexually assaulting her.

The terrifying attack only ended when her partner luckily arrived.

The woman was described as “hysterical” with her face covered in blood.

She was later treated for bruising and swelling, but fortunately suffered no fractures.

Mr McGuire: “The attack has had a profound and continuing effect on her.”

Shillan was recognised from CCTV footage of the area at the time.

He made no comment when held – but forensic evidence later pinned him to the attack.

The court was told Shillan partly blamed what he done on a fall out with his sister.

August 2019

Heriot-Watt University professor guilty of sex assaults on students

A university professor has been convicted of sexually assaulting young male students.

Kevin O’Gorman, 45, abused eight young men while working at Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt universities between 2006 and 2014.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that O’Gorman abused his position to prey on vulnerable students who hoped to gain entry to advanced degrees.

O’Gorman will be sentenced on 18 September.

Sheriff Alistair Noble heard one of the victims said O’Gorman visited him at his flat and ordered him to remove his trousers and bend over a bed.

He said that he had been whipped at least 10 times which left O’Gorman “out of breath and red faced.”

Another complainer said that, over the course of a Skype call, he was made to stand in a corner and beat himself on the bottom with a wooden spoon.

O’Gorman, of Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, denied a total of 19 charges against 11 young men.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Noble acquitted O’Gorman on three of the allegations and convicted him on all other charges.

Sheriff Noble said: “I have no problem concluding that the complainers who gave evidence against you that was truthful and credible.

“I do not believe the account which you gave in which you claimed that these encounters were consensual. Your evidence differed greatly from the accounts of the complainers.

“I accordingly find you guilty.”

None of the young men abused by O’Gorman can be identified for legal reasons.

The academic was the Director of Heriot-Watt’s school of management and languages.

O’Gorman claimed he did not abuse the students. He claimed when he ordered a student to stand in the corner, he was following a “mindfulness technique” similar to the one used by Adam Smith, the 18th century economist.

In closing submissions, depute procurator fiscal Nicole Lavelle said O’Gorman claims to be following Adam Smith’s example was incredible.

She added: “This was not a bizarre mindfulness technique but a criminal act done for sexual gratification.”

Following conviction, Ms Lavelle said O’Gorman was a first offender.

Defence advocate Niall McCluskey told Sheriff Noble that because his client had not previously offended, the court was obliged to obtain reports on his character and background.

Sheriff Noble then deferred sentence.

August 2019

Clydebank teen spared jail over vile child abuse images

A teenager who admitted being in possession of sickening indecent images of children has been spared prison.

Shaun Bell pleaded guilty to a charge of taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children over a two-and-a-half year spell dating back to August 2014 – when the now-convicted paedophile himself was just 13.

Bell, who only turned 18 in March, admitted a further charge of possessing indecent images of children between January 2016 and May 2017.

He also pleaded guilty to a further charge of possessing extreme pornographic images at his then home address in Crown Avenue, again between August 2014 and May 2017.

Bell appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last Friday for sentencing, having entered the guilty pleas at an earlier court hearing, when background reports were ordered.

Defence lawyer Rosalyn McTaggart said Bell, who had since moved to a new address in the area, would be willing to undertake all elements of a non-custodial sentence, but admitted there was “nothing I can say” to mitigate the serious nature of the offending.

Sheriff William Gallacher said: “The extensive period, and extensive and deliberate categorisation of his behaviour, causes me concern. This was done over a significant period of time, with a significant result.

“I have concern as to how the court must mark this offending, in the public interest.”

Ms McTaggart replied: “It is being taken seriously by him, and by his family, and by the agencies equipped to enable insight and rehabilitation.

“He said he was glad he had come to the attention of the authorities and that he was going to be dealt with. That is a remarkable comment to make, and perhaps gives hope that this is a young man capable of rehabilitation, who is willing and eager to access assistance.”

Sheriff Gallacher told Bell: “I previously discussed with you the nature of the charge and the traumatic impact of the offence, which was for your gratification, on people in various parts of the world.

“That is an impact which would not exist were it not for the demand for such material.

“This is not an act without consequences for others. Those involved in the production of the material you sought out are harmed beyond measure, and this harm is created by people like you who seek this material out.

“However, I am satisfied that I do not require to send you to prison.”

Instead, Bell agreed to accept a community payback order which will see him supervised by social workers for the next three years.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for the same length of time, and will also be required to make any internet-capable device available for inspection at any time and be barred from deleting or hiding any such device’s browsing history.

Bell was also ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid community work within nine months as a punishment.

As Bell left the dock, the sheriff warned him: “This is a straightforward alternative to sending you to prison, and I’ll have no hesitation in doing that if you don’t comply.”