JOHN MACDONALD FROM CALDERBANK SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC CHILD ABUSE IN AIRDRIE

In September 2010, a disturbing case of prolonged child sexual abuse culminated in the sentencing of John MacDonald, a resident of Calderbank, Airdrie. The court heard harrowing details of his crimes against two young children, which spanned several years and involved a staggering number of over 1,000 abusive acts.

MacDonald, whose address is listed as Crowwood Road, Calderbank, was convicted after a three-day trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court. The jury, composed of ten women and five men, deliberated for only fifty minutes before returning guilty verdicts on multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of a young boy and girl. The victims, who cannot be identified publicly for legal reasons, were just six and five years old at the time the abuse began.

The young boy, now aged 25, testified that the abuse started when he was only five and continued until he was eleven. He estimated that MacDonald sexually assaulted him more than 900 times over the course of those years. The court was told that MacDonald forced the boy to perform various sexual acts at a house in Airdrie and also showed him pornographic images. The boy described the abuse as occurring three or four times weekly, emphasizing the frequency and the young age at which he was subjected to such trauma. His emotional testimony revealed that he did not disclose the abuse earlier because he did not understand it was wrong until he reached secondary school.

Similarly, the court heard evidence of MacDonald’s assault on a young girl, who was six when the abuse started. These assaults took place over nearly two years at two different houses in Airdrie and on parkland behind Hamilton Drive. The girl, now 24, was visibly distressed as the verdict was announced, sobbing openly in court. The jury also considered a third charge involving another girl, whom MacDonald was accused of abusing approximately 250 times while she slept in a house in Airdrie between May 1991 and May 1994. However, this particular charge was not proven.

Defense counsel Derek Nelson argued that MacDonald denied any inappropriate contact with the young boy during police interviews. He admitted to kissing and cuddling the girl once, which resulted in him being physically reprimanded, but denied any contact with the third girl. Nelson highlighted the personal toll on MacDonald, noting that he had lost his job, family, and home, and had to move out of the area for safety reasons. He also pointed out that MacDonald had no further offenses since he was 17, and that his movements would continue to be monitored.

The court was informed that MacDonald’s family had been subjected to threats, his car vandalized, and attacks aimed at him, prompting him to relocate for his safety. As part of his sentence, MacDonald was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years. Sheriff John C. Morris QC emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “These are very serious charges which went on for an awful long time when you knew what you were doing was not right.” The court’s decision reflects the gravity of the abuse and the need to protect children from such predatory behavior.