Offender abuses sleeping boy at mom’s party and then takes him to McDonald’s

A man who sexually assaulted a sleeping teenager after sneaking into her bedroom during a party for her mother has been jailed after a jury found him guilty.

Barry Donnelly raped the boy at his home in Glasgow’s Penilee on September 12, 2022. The former hospital surgical assistant climbed into a bed where the boy was sleeping and groped his terrified victim before performing a sexual act, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard. Donnelly later drove his victim home and stopped at McDonald’s. Prosecutor Sean Docherty said: “The boy was still in shock.”

Donnelly, 41, claimed he drove the boy home later that morning, stopping at a McDonald’s on the way. Docherty continued: “The boy stated in his statement that he was still in shock in the car and doesn’t really remember saying much.”

Donnelly claimed the boy cuddled him before dropping him off. However, the taxman explained to Donnelly that when the boy got home he burst into tears in front of his father and claimed he had been sexually abused. Docherty asked: “Is that a drastic change of position?” Donnelly replied: “Yes.”

Donnelly further claimed that the boy had lied to the court, even though his DNA was present on his victim. He was found guilty on a single count of sexually abusing the boy after the jury deliberated for about an hour.

After the verdict was announced, cheers and shouts of “yes” could be heard in the public gallery. It was revealed that Donnelly has previous convictions for theft and a traffic offense. Sheriff Matthew Jackson KC refused bail and remanded him in custody pending sentencing next month, pending background reports.