HENRY O’DONNELL INVERNESS CRIME SPREE: SEX OFFENDER TARGETS TEEN GIRLS AND IGNORES WARNING ORDERS

In May 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Henry O’Donnell, a notorious sex offender with a long history of criminal behavior, who was convicted of targeting young girls in the town of Paisley and the surrounding areas, including Inverness. The incidents highlight the ongoing threat posed by individuals with a history of sexual offenses, despite legal restrictions and supervision measures in place.

O’Donnell, aged 70 at the time, had previously been subjected to a strict Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which explicitly prohibited him from approaching, speaking to, or communicating in any manner with anyone under the age of 16. This order was a result of multiple prior convictions for sexual offenses against minors, including a five-year sentence handed down in 1998 for abusing three girls aged between 10 and 12, and a previous three-month imprisonment in 1988 for shameless indecency. His criminal record also includes a five-month sentence in 2005 for flashing at schoolgirls and several breaches of his SOPO, leading to additional jail time in subsequent years.

On the day in question, March 29 of the previous year, O’Donnell was accused of violating the terms of his SOPO by engaging in inappropriate behavior towards two 13-year-old girls on a bus traveling between Braehead Shopping Centre and Paisley. The girls, who are now 14, testified that O’Donnell targeted them while they were on a number 26 McGill’s bus. One of the girls recounted that she and her friends had gone shopping to buy clothes for a family holiday when they noticed O’Donnell making disturbing gestures towards them as they sat on the bus. She described how he was touching his inner thigh and private parts, all while looking at them with a smug expression and hiding his face.

The girl further explained that O’Donnell was making a ‘hand-to-mouth’ gesture, mimicking holding a bottle and moving his arm back and forth, which she interpreted as an attempt to communicate inappropriately. She added that he was licking his lips and blowing kisses towards the girls, actions that left them visibly shocked. The girls said that it was only after they disembarked near KFC on Dundonald Road in Paisley that they fully realized the nature of his behavior. One of the girls recalled that O’Donnell had said, “bye, baby dolls,” as they left the bus, which added to their distress.

Prosecutor David McDonald, representing the Crown, urged the jury to find O’Donnell guilty of breaching the SOPO. He emphasized that, to the casual observer, O’Donnell might appear as a drunken old man making a fool of himself, but the reality was that he was subject to legal restrictions designed to protect minors. McDonald pointed out that O’Donnell’s gestures were clearly an attempt to communicate with the girls in an inappropriate manner, and that such actions constitute a violation of the court order.

The jury, after deliberating for just under an hour, returned a majority verdict of guilty. Following the conviction, Sheriff Tom McCartney sentenced O’Donnell to 18 months in prison. The sheriff highlighted the seriousness of breaching a SOPO, especially given O’Donnell’s extensive criminal history, which includes multiple convictions for sexual offenses and breaches of supervision orders. The sheriff also noted that O’Donnell has been on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, underscoring the ongoing risk he poses to the community.

O’Donnell’s criminal record is extensive. He was previously jailed for three months in 1988 for indecency, and in 1998, he received a five-year sentence for abusing three young girls. He was released on parole but was later recalled to serve the full sentence after approaching a 14-year-old girl in the street. His pattern of offending continued with a five-month jail term in 2005 for flashing at schoolgirls after following them in a park. Further breaches of his SOPO led to additional imprisonment in 2006, 2009, and 2011, including a three-year sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court for breaching the order again.

In a separate incident in May 2011, O’Donnell, then aged 62, was at the center of a police effort to restrict his access to Rannoch Woods in Renfrewshire, a site infamous for its dark history, including the 1981 rape and murder of schoolgirl Pamela Hastie. Despite being on the Sex Offenders Register for life and under supervision, O’Donnell refused to sign a legal document promising not to enter the woods, claiming he liked to go there for a drink. Authorities expressed frustration, noting that his alcohol abuse and criminal history did not justify his unrestricted access to such areas.

O’Donnell’s history of offending is intertwined with his struggles with alcoholism, which he has battled for over three decades. His criminal activities have spanned decades, with convictions for indecency, flashing, and breaching supervision orders. Despite these measures, he has repeatedly reoffended, demonstrating the persistent danger he poses to the community. His case underscores the challenges faced by law enforcement and judicial authorities in managing repeat offenders and protecting vulnerable populations from harm.