STUART MADDEN FROM PORT GLASGOW AND SALTCOATS SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS FOR SEXUAL ABUSE

In April 2017, a man named Stuart Madden was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of serious sexual offenses involving two young boys. Madden, aged 41 and originally from Surrey, but with known connections to Port Glasgow and Saltcoats, was convicted last month of abusing the minors over a period spanning from 1994 to 2001.

Details of the case revealed that Madden subjected one of his victims to abuse inside a cubicle at Port Glasgow Swimming Baths. The other victim was assaulted in a caravan located in Saltcoats. Additionally, the court heard evidence that Madden also committed acts of abuse at his own residence. Despite the gravity of the charges, Madden maintained his innocence, denying all allegations and claiming that his victims had fabricated their stories against him.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by lawyer Lynsey MacDonald, painted a disturbing picture of Madden’s conduct. She described how Madden engaged in a pattern of systematic abuse, often taking his victims on outings such as fishing, cycling, and swimming. The court was told that Madden would exploit these opportunities to commit his crimes, even going as far as to buy one of the boys ice cream after abusing him in a swimming pool cubicle.

The court also heard that some of the abuse took place in Madden’s own home, particularly when his mother was out walking the family dog. One of the victims, who was between 11 and 17 years old at the time, first disclosed the abuse after receiving counseling following a road traffic accident. This victim recounted that Madden would buy him gifts and take him to various places, which Madden used to manipulate and groom him.

The second victim, who had a troubled childhood marked by abandonment at the age of four in a café, testified that Madden initially began kissing him before the abuse escalated to rape. This victim, aged between 12 and 14 during the incidents, kept silent about the abuse until he finally confided in someone in 2001. He described Madden’s threats, stating, “He said if I told anything what was happening I would never see my family again.”

As Madden was convicted, one of the victims shouted “Yes!” in response to the verdict. The court had previously deferred sentencing to allow for reports on Madden’s character. When Madden appeared before the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Graeme Buchanan QC made it clear that the only appropriate sentence was imprisonment, and Madden was accordingly sentenced to serve eight years behind bars.