Greenock rapist who attacked two young women in town jailed

A GREENOCK sex predator who attacked two younger women has been jailed for five-and-a-half years at the High Court today. 

John MacDonald, 65, told a victim whom he raped that he would snap her neck after she tried to escape his clutches.

MacDonald struck again months later with the second woman left feeling like she wanted to 'rip her skin off'.

He had denied the allegations during a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

But MacDonald was found guilty of raping and physically assaulting the first victim at his then home in Greenock on October 20, 2021.

He was further convicted of sexually assaulting and making lewd remarks to the other woman at another property in the town.

Judge Lady Stacey said: "You have been convicted of a serious charge and the court has to take a serious view of what happened.

"I understand that things went on a downward spiral after the death [of MacDonald's partner] and you were drinking at this time.

"I take account of your age, no previous convictions and that you got so far in your life without lawbreaking.

"It is a pity to see a man of your age getting convictions in your mid 60s."

Jurors had heard how the rape victim had been sleeping, but awoke to find MacDonald having sex with her.

She had earlier gone to bed wanting to be left 'alone'.

After being confronted, MacDonald told her she had been 'sleeping for ten minutes'.

The traumatised woman was initially stopped from leaving the predator's home.

He grabbed this victim, struggled with her and then made the chilling comment that he would 'snap her neck'.

The woman ended up in tears when she finally escaped.

She denied any sex was consensual as she 'did not think' of MacDonald in 'that way' given the near 30-year age gap.

The woman also became emotional during the trial when shown photos of the room where the rape occurred.

The other victim - in her 20s - was attacked on May 16, 2022 after MacDonald had earlier made a number of sleazy remarks to her.

They were standing in a kitchen when he started groping her and she desperately tried pushing him off.

In his closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Alan Parfery said: "He would not take no for an answer."

"It was only when someone came into the kitchen that he stopped."

Describing how she felt afterwards, this victim said: "I wanted to rip my skin off because I felt so dirty."

Mr Parfery said it was apparent MacDonald had a 'predilection' for young women.

Gail Gianni, defending, told the sentencing that her client continues to profess his innocence.

She said: "Had his partner not passed away, he would not have been in this downward spiral.

"They had 34 years together, he would not be in court today. It is a sad set of circumstances."