Twisted predator launched horrific attacks in Edinburgh while still a teenager

A sexual predator who attacked and raped two women was sentenced Monday to six years in prison as he continued to deny the crimes.

Connor McNealis committed his first sexual assaults on a victim in the Broomhouse area of ​​Edinburgh while he was still a teenager before subjecting a second woman to repeated rapes four years later in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

McNealis, 27, formerly of Hamilton Road, Gullane, East Lothian, had denied a series of charges at an earlier trial. But a judge at the High Court in Edinburgh told him: “You were found guilty after trial of four counts of rape.”

READ NEXT- Guests at Balmoral Edinburgh Hotel evacuated as firefighters rush to scene

READ NEXT- Edinburgh woman 'lost thousands of pounds' after Nicki Minaj concert canceled in Manchester

Lord Weir said these were “very serious offences” and a prison sentence was the necessary consequence of the verdict.

The judge recognized that McNealis was a first offender who had never served a prison sentence before and that he presented a moderate risk of re-offending. The court heard that McNealis continued to deny responsibility for the offences.

McNealis attacked and raped his first victim twice between May and September 2016, when he was 19 years old.

Register for Live Newsletters from Edinburgh for more headlines straight to your inbox

He then raped the second woman several times in 2020 and 2021 at flats in the Seedhill area of ​​Paisley.

Defense barrister Simon Gilbride said McNealis had indicated he was suffering from feelings of hopelessness and depression. But he added: “He is determined to do something with his life, not only for himself but also for those he loves.”

“He has demonstrated that he has a work ethic and that suggests he is capable of becoming a useful member of society.”

Join the Edinburgh Live Whatsapp community here and Get the latest news straight to your messages.

“This is someone who appears to have been in fairly continuous employment since leaving school,” the defense lawyer said.

McNealis, who followed the sentencing proceedings via video link to the prison, was told he would be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.