Firefighter Jailed For Rape Of Rescued Girl

Published 25th Aug 2015

A firefighter who raped a nine year-old girl after she had been rescued from a blaze has been jailed for 10 years.

John McGinn pounced on the traumatised child - then threatened to kill her mum if she said anything.

The 56 year-old also raped and abused a woman as well assaulting another young girl during separate incidents.

Lord Bonomy today told McGinn he was guilty of a "catalogue of brutal behaviour" as he returned to the High Court in Glasgow to be sentenced.

McGinn had been convicted in June of six charges including rape and lewd and libidinous conduct.

Lord Bonomy also placed him on the sex offenders list indefinitely.

McGinn - who continues to deny the crimes - showed no emotion as he was lead handcuffed to the cells.

The pervert worked as a firefighter across North Lanarkshire for more than 30 years.

He joined colleagues in January 1994 to battle a blaze at the young rape victim's house in Bellshill.

McGinn knew the child and her family having lived in the same area.

While the youngster's mum was rushed to hospital with smoke inhalation, the shaken child was taken to her gran's to be cared for.

McGinn later turned up and it was there he took advantage of the schoolgirl.

He initially claimed they were playing a game called "King of the Castle" - but instead put his hand over her mouth and said it would be "okay".

The victim - now aged 30 - recalled: "I told him to stop. He said if I told anyone he would kill my mother."

McGinn - who also worked as a bouncer - was held by police almost 20 years later after the woman plucked up the courage to report her ordeal.

But, McGinn insisted the rape was not true - and that the victim was "not a very nice person".

He told detectives: "Its a downright lie - it did not happen. No chance. For her to come out with that is ridiculous.

"I would rather put a bullet in my own head than be a paedophile."

He added: "Hanging is too good for a paedophile. Anything they have said is a downright lie."

McGinn tried to blacken the victim's name further by insisting she had once tried to blackmail him out of his lucrative fire brigade pension.

But, a jury further heard that a woman also suffered at McGinn's violent hands around the same time.

The 50 year-old branded the retired fireman "a monster". They started dating when the woman was only 16 in the mid-1980s.

The pair lived together in Bellshill with the woman saying McGinn made her life hell.

He told her what clothes to wear - and even gave her "pocket money" to spend.

She told the court that she was repeatedly raped by McGinn - and only ever consented to sex twice.

But, on one occasion, the victim snapped after he had earlier tied her to a bed and sexually assaulted her.

She told the jury: "I was crying. I was saying no. It was hurting - I had had enough."

After then being freed, she grabbed a knife and chased burly McGinn.

She recalled: "I would have put the knife right through his heart if I had caught up with him, but he ran and ran."

McGinn also assaulted another young girl - and later bribed her to keep quiet by giving her sweets and juice.

Edith Forrest, defending, today said McGinn's wife of more than 20 years remained "very supportive" of her rapist husband.

Miss Forrest added: "His position, as at the trial, is a denial of these offences."