KEVAN MCDONALD'S HORRIFIC CRIMES IN RENFREW AND PAISLEY LEAD TO LIFE SENTENCE

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Paisley and Renfrew, Kevan McDonald, a 34-year-old man from Paisley, was sentenced to life imprisonment following a series of brutal sexual assaults and attempted rapes that spanned over a three-month period in 2009. The conviction was secured after authorities linked him to the crimes through a DNA sample, which was ultimately traced back to his identical twin brother, who had provided the sample in a separate case.

McDonald's crimes included the rape of a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Paisley town centre on April 3, 2009. The victim was walking home alone after a night out with friends when she was suddenly attacked by McDonald, who pounced on her in a public area. The assault left her traumatized, and her ordeal was one of four victims identified during the investigation.

The second victim, a 16-year-old girl from Renfrew, was targeted on May 27, 2009. McDonald hid in bushes along her route home and grabbed her as she passed by, dragging her into a wooded area where he attempted to assault her. Fortunately, her screams attracted the attention of a passing taxi driver, who intervened and helped her escape.

On June 16, 2009, McDonald attacked an 18-year-old woman on Cochrane Street in Paisley. She screamed for help during the assault, prompting McDonald to flee the scene as her friends rushed to her aid. Later that same day, he targeted a 33-year-old woman who was cycling along the path between Newton Terrace and Main Road in Elderslie. When she asked him for directions, he responded with violence—punching her in the face, grabbing her by the throat, and pulling her into nearby woods. There, he tied her hands with her trousers and raped her.

During the police search of McDonald's residence, authorities recovered stolen items from the victims, including a mobile phone and an iPod from the 16-year-old girl, and a camera and phone from the 33-year-old woman. The DNA evidence collected from the victims matched the profile of McDonald's identical twin brother, which played a crucial role in securing his conviction.

At the High Court in Glasgow, McDonald admitted to the charges, including the rape of the 17-year-old girl and the 33-year-old woman, as well as the attempted rapes of the two teenagers. The court heard that McDonald was a martial arts expert, which he used to carry out his attacks over the course of three months. The judge, Lord Turnbull, sentenced him to serve a minimum of 12 years and nine months, but due to a recent appeal court ruling, this term was halved. McDonald was also ordered to be monitored for life after his release and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Lord Turnbull described the crimes as