DUNCAN MULHOLLAND SENTENCED FOR DECADES OF SEXUAL ABUSE ON ARRAN AND EAST RENFREWSHIRE

In a case that has shocked the local communities, Duncan Mulholland, a man with a long history of abusing young girls, has been sentenced to prison for his heinous crimes spanning over two decades. The offences took place primarily on the Isle of Arran and in East Renfrewshire, where Mulholland’s predatory actions left a trail of trauma among his young victims.

Mulholland, a father of five, was convicted of sexually abusing children between the ages of seven and 15, with incidents occurring from 1987 through 2008. His pattern of abuse involved sneaking into the bedrooms of sleeping girls during sleepovers at his residence and assaulting them while they were vulnerable and unaware. The gravity of his actions was laid bare during the trial at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, where a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault.

The earliest known incident took place in the late 1980s at a house in Uplawmoor, East Renfrewshire. Mulholland, then 55 years old, entered the young girl’s bedroom while she was asleep, woke her, and sexually assaulted her after telling her to remain quiet. This initial attack marked the beginning of a disturbing pattern that would continue for over two decades.

Subsequent offences occurred at Torylinn Farm in Kilmory on Arran, where Mulholland targeted another young girl between 1996 and 1997. On these occasions, he entered her room, lay down next to her while she slept, and touched her inappropriately. The abuse persisted into the 2000s, with further incidents reported between 2005 and 2008, when he again entered a girl’s bedroom, placed his hand under the covers, and inappropriately touched her by inserting his hand inside her underwear.

Throughout the trial, Mulholland denied any wrongdoing, maintaining his innocence despite the evidence presented. Following the conviction, the court deferred sentencing to allow for social work assessments, and Mulholland was remanded in custody. Recently, he returned to face his sentence, which was handed down by Sheriff Alistair Watson.

During the sentencing hearing, Mulholland’s defense advocate, Maryam Labaki, requested leniency, highlighting that her client had been assessed as a low risk of reoffending. She emphasized that the time Mulholland had spent in custody had profoundly affected him, describing him as a 55-year-old man with no prior criminal record. The defense proposed that instead of jail, Mulholland could be placed on a Community Payback Order, requiring him to undertake unpaid work and be subject to supervision, which they argued would serve both punitive and rehabilitative purposes.

However, the sheriff was unpersuaded by these arguments. In his judgment, the only appropriate course of action was imprisonment. Sheriff Watson sentenced Mulholland to a total of three and a half years behind bars, with two years for the assault in Uplawmoor and nine months each for the incidents on Arran. The sheriff’s remarks underscored the severity of the crimes, noting the breach of trust involved and the lack of remorse shown by Mulholland.

He stated, “The course of conduct was conducted in a way which, in my view, is a gross breach of trust. These children were entitled to look to you as an adult — a man they could place trust in and feel safe. There is a complete lack of remorse. Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

As the sentence was announced, Mulholland showed no visible emotion, standing impassively as members of his family, believed to include his wife and children, wept in the courtroom gallery. The case has left a lasting impact on the victims and the wider community, highlighting the importance of vigilance and justice in protecting vulnerable children from such predatory behavior.