December 2013 Ice cream man abused young employees on his van for 14 years A man who used his ice cream van to lure young boys so he could abuse them has been jailed for seven years. Billy McGill recruited schoolchildren as helpers on his rounds in the van in West Lothian and Lanarkshire and got some of them to stay the night. The children were encouraged to sleep over at his caravan under the guise of early visits to a cash and carry on the following morning. The 51-year-old would then give them vodka and carry out abuse on them. Four of his five victims were given alcohol. At the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, judge Lady Scott told him: “The nature of these offences and the degree of planning and the gross breach of trust involved suggests you pose a serious risk to boys and young men.” McGill was previously found guilty of eight sec offences. Defence QC Mark Stewart said his client had since contemplated suicide. He said that because he lived in a small community where he was well-known, it was unlikely he would ever get the chance to offend again. He was also added to the sex offender register for life and will be subjected to a three-year supervision order when he is released from prison. McGill, from Longridge, West Lothian, had denied the offences committed between 1988 and 2002. He claimed he was the victim of an internet smear campaign by a rival ice cream seller. His trial heard how police ordered accusers to stop posting messages about him on social networking site Facebook and warned him for his safety, but weeks later arrested him. The court was told that in 1988 McGill stayed at a caravan near Climpy Road, Forth, in Lanarkshire, and would park his ice cream van there. He also operated from an industrial estate at Addiewell, in West Lothian, and had a caravan there. One 37-year-old man, who like other victims cannot be identified, described giving evidence in court in the case as the hardest thing he had done. He told how he had just started secondary school when he helped McGill for about six weeks. He said McGill invited him to stay at a house in Carmuir, Forth, and added: “He said it would be better for us to get up early in the morning to go to a cash and carry in Wishaw.” The man said he was terrified to leave the room because large German Shepherd dogs were outside. He was then sexually abused. McGill tried to molest him on a further occasion. The victim told the court: “I tried to kill myself when I was 15 years old because of this.” Another 26-year-old man said he was about 14 when he worked for McGill serving ice cream. He said sometimes there were small gatherings in McGill’s caravan and he witnessed him molesting another boy. He said: “I remember they were in bed and obviously having intercourse and touching.” McGill also tried to have sex with him, but he did not report it at the time. A 31-year-old man told the court he woke to see McGill having sex with another youth. He claimed he wrapped himself in a duvet, took McGill’s mobile phone and went outside to call the police. He said: “They basically laughed at me and told me to get back to bed.” Other former van boys who worked for McGill gave evidence for him and said he had not made advances to them. November 2013 Paedophile ice cream van man guilty of attacks in West Lothian and Lanarkshire A sex predator who used his ice cream van to lure young boys in West Lothian and Lanarkshire before abusing them has been found guilty. Billy McGill, 51, from West Lothian, recruited children as “helpers” and got some of them to stay the night. A jury found him guilty of eight sex offence charges involving boys at the High Court in Edinburgh. McGill, of Kirk Brae, Longridge, had denied the offences committed between 1988 and 2002. He claimed he was the victim of an internet smear campaign by a rival ice cream seller. A judge sent him to prison ahead of sentencing next month. Youngsters were encouraged to sleep over at his caravan under the guise of early visits to a cash and carry on the following morning. However, McGill would give them vodka and carry out a catalogue of abuse. Four of his five victims were plied with alcohol. Lady Scott rejected a defence plea that McGill should remain on bail while a background report is prepared on him. The judge said: “You have been convicted by the jury of a serious course of conduct involving sexual abuse of young boys.” She told McGill it was inevitable that he faced a substantial prison sentence and called on an assessment to be made of the risk he posed to young children. The court was told that in 1988 McGill stayed at a caravan near Climpy Road, Forth, in Lanarkshire, and would park his ice cream van there. He also operated from an industrial estate at Addiewell, in West Lothian, and had a caravan there. McGill was placed on the sex offenders register.