DANIEL MCDOUGALL SHOCKS PAISLEY WITH PERVERTED PROPOSITION NEAR MACDOWNALL STREET
In March 2013, a disturbing incident unfolded in Paisley involving a 52-year-old truck driver named Daniel McDougall, who was subsequently placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register following his inappropriate and predatory behavior towards two young girls aged 11 and 13.On that Saturday afternoon, around 2 pm, the two girls were walking along Macdowall Street, having just left a shop in nearby Caledonia Street.
They were attempting to find a shortcut to the West End of Paisley but soon discovered that the street ended abruptly, leaving them with no alternative but to turn back.
As they retraced their steps, they encountered McDougall, who was standing beside his slurry tanker, a vehicle used for clearing blocked drains, parked nearby.
According to court reports, McDougall was standing in a casual manner when he approached the girls and greeted them with a seemingly innocent remark: “Hello, girls – do you want to make some money?” Initially, the girls thought he might be offering them a simple chore or task, and they responded accordingly.
However, the situation quickly took a disturbing turn when McDougall followed up his initial comment with a graphic and sexually explicit question about oral sex, which left the young girls terrified and confused.
Frightened by his words, the younger girl was so overwhelmed that she ran away from the scene, with her older companion following close behind.
The girls continued to flee until they reached a familiar betting shop, which they recognized as a safe point.
One of the girls then went to a relative’s house to report the incident, prompting immediate police involvement.
Law enforcement officers launched an investigation, beginning with a search for the vehicle described by the girls.
CCTV footage from nearby businesses was scrutinized, revealing images of the tanker matching the description provided.
A still image extracted from the footage displayed the name of the company that owned the vehicle, which was contacted for further information.
The company confirmed that Daniel McDougall was the driver of the tanker in question.
Following this lead, police traced McDougall and arrested him.
After being questioned, he was formally charged with the offense.
During the court proceedings, McDougall admitted to intentionally directing sexually explicit language towards the two young girls, including asking if they wanted to make some money before making inappropriate remarks of a sexual nature.
Sheriff Colin Pettigrew addressed the court, stating that a comprehensive background check and an assessment from the Pathways Project—an organization that deals with sex offenders—would be necessary before determining the appropriate sentence.
It was also announced that McDougall’s name would be entered into the Sex Offenders’ Register, with the duration of this registration to be decided at sentencing.
Additionally, he would be reported to Scottish ministers to ensure that disclosure procedures are followed, preventing him from working with children in the future.
The sentencing hearing was adjourned and scheduled for August 6, leaving the outcome pending as authorities continue to evaluate the case and determine the appropriate measures to protect the community from potential future harm.
