Sunderland pervert turned in by wife sentenced for bus grope attack

A married pervert who groped a vulnerable woman after befriending her on a Sunderland bus has been told he must sign on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.
Donald MacInnesDonald MacInnes
Donald MacInnes

Donald MacInnes was also handed a six-month term of imprisonment, suspended for two years, after the sordid sex attack in October.

MacInnes was arrested in January after a CCTV image from the bus was published in the Echo, which was seen by his now-estranged wife.

Donald MacinnesDonald Macinnes
Donald Macinnes
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The 50-year-old was back in court for sentencing after admitting sexual assault.

Prosecutor Claire Irving said footage showed the painter and decorator talking with the victim on board the bus, prior to asking her if she wanted to have sex.

Ms Irving said: “He followed her as she went into the communal porch area of her accommodation.

“He pushed her against the coffee table and attacked her. He tried to kiss her, touched her breast and she banged on the window in a bid to attract help. He was then told to leave.”

Donald MacinnesDonald Macinnes
Donald Macinnes
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Ms Irving said the victim is “particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances” and MacInnes was a stranger to her.

She added that he followed her and entered her home “uninvited.”

The court heard MacInnes’ was arrested at the family home in Cheadle Road, Hylton Castle, on January 15.

He now lives in a hostel in Tatham Street.

Donald MacinnesDonald Macinnes
Donald Macinnes

Phillipa Wylie, defending, said: “It’s an unsavoury incident. It’s an unpleasant incident. It’s a worrying incident, because it has come out of the blue.

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“This is something that should never have happened. It was undoubtedly distressing to the complainant in this matter.

“Until this incident, he was happily married for 15 years, with two sons. He has gone about his business as a family man.

“The consequences for him were quite severe. His photo was in the Echo. His wife came across that and alerted police. She asked him to leave immediately.”

Passing sentence, bench chairman Roseanne Forster said: “We have no doubt that this was a frightening experience for the victim.”