November 2013: McDonald now lives in Bristol March 2011 Paedophile who molested Broch youngsters appeals A paedophile who molested north-east youngsters as they slept will take a legal challenge over his conviction to Scotland’s appeal court next month. Malcolm McDonald was jailed for three years in May last year after being found guilty by a jury of abusing the children over two years in the late 90s at Fraserburgh and Aberdeen. He has launched a bid for freedom and is due to appear for an appeal hearing in Edinburgh on April 15. McDonald, 41, repeatedly preyed on a girl and three boys aged between eight and 13, Peterhead Sheriff Court heard last year. He had befriended the children’s families and crept into their rooms after dark before sexually assaulting them. McDonald was found guilty after a four-day trial. He had denied four counts of using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the children between April 1995 and October 1997. During the trial lawyer Shahid Latif, defending, told the court that McDonald had resigned himself to time behind bars. “For him, this is the end of a chapter in his life,” said Mr Latif. “He wants to make something else of his life after time spent in custody.” In sentencing, Sheriff Marysia Lewis told McDonald he had breached the trust of children who had looked upon him as a father figure. She added: “They suffered fear, misery and pain as young children and have now had to relive those experiences as young adults giving evidence during your trial.” She said there was no realistic alternative to jail. Mr Latif had previously attempted to convince the jury that McDonald’s victims had made the whole thing up. “This did not happen, because someone else in the house would have seen or heard something,” he said. Fiscal David Thorburn told jurors that, although there were discrepancies in their evidence, each victim had identified McDonald as the abuser and told the court that he did not say a word while he abused them. “We don’t expect witnesses to be able to recall every detail,” he said. “Bear in mind, this all occurred when they were young children. “You would expect to find some discrepancies in their evidence and if there were none, you might find that suspicious.” McDonald, of Bristol, was also put on the sex offenders register and was ordered to be supervised for 12 months on his release from prison. April 2010 A BRISTOL man molested four Scottish youngsters while they slept, a court was told. Malcolm McDonald abused the children over a two-year period in the late 1990s at addresses at Fraserburgh and Aberdeen. He repeatedly preyed on a girl and three boys aged between eight and 13. The 41-year-old, who had befriended the children’s families, crept into their rooms after dark and abused them under the sheets. One male victim, now 26, said the visits became so frequent that it felt like they were happening every night. This week McDonald, of Wigton Crescent, Southmead, was found guilty of four counts of using lewd and libidinous practices and behaviour towards the children between April 1995 and October 1997. Following a four-day trial at Peterhead Sheriff Court, a jury of nine women and six men took just over an hour to convict him. Some of the victims and their families broke down as the jury delivered its unanimous verdict. One relative said: “He’s just a beast and he got what he deserved. We’re so relieved.” The court heard that McDonald had abused three of his victims at houses in Aberdeen’s Northfield area and at Fraserburgh. Another victim was molested at a third house in a different area. Defence agent Shahid Latif attempted to convince members of the jury that McDonald’s victims had made the whole thing up. “This did not happen, because someone else in the house would have seen or heard something,” he said. Fiscal David Thorburn told jurors that, although there were discrepancies in their evidence, each victim had identified McDonald as the abuser and told the court that he did not say a word while he abused them. He is due to be sentenced on May 13.