April 2011

Man jailed for 11 years over string of brutal sex assaults

A BRUTAL sex attacker who raped or indecently assaulted a woman and three girls has been jailed for 11 years.

He was convicted of 21 out of 34 charges, including 12 of rape, after a two-week trial during which he forced his victims to suffer the ordeal of having to relive the offences by giving evidence.

Malcolm MacDonald, 63, of Cravens Lane, Habrough, denied all the offences but was convicted by a jury at Hull Crown Court after deliberations totalling more than seven hours spanning two days.

The trial heard that he used violence towards all of the victims, although not when he was raping or indecently assaulting them.

One of the victims later said: “I was so ashamed. I felt dirty.”

The woman he raped was pregnant at the time and one of the girls claimed that she later became pregnant after one of the sexual incidents. The jury cleared him of this offence and a number of others, however.

One of the victims had to give evidence via a video link from Canada.

Recorder Rodney Jameson QC told MacDonald: “These are obviously offences of the greatest seriousness.

“There was a background of intimidation and threats at the time not to reveal what was happening.”

Jonathan Spicer, mitigating, said MacDonald had no previous convictions, although he had a caution for assault, causing actual bodily harm, in 2007.

“No other offences have come to light since,” said Mr Spicer.

MacDonald did not use violence to force the victims to have sex in the first place, he added. He had already been in custody for 479 days and it was possible that he might die in prison because of the lengthy sentence he faced, said Mr Spicer.

MacDonald will have to register as a sex offender for life. After the hearing, case officer Det Con Dave Bell said: “The verdicts and the prison sentence are what the victims deserve.

“I hope it will bring some closure to them. The victims will be pleased with the verdicts.”

Three of the guilty verdicts were on majorities of 11 to one and the other on a majority of 10 to two.