Evil double rapist Simon McGinley arrested in Scotland using false name
Simon McGinley gets out of the back of a white, UK-registered van in Dundalk (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)A double rapist has been arrested in Scotland after going on the run, Dublin Live can exclusively reveal.Sicko Simon McGinley, 52, was detained in Ayr last month for road traffic offences, unlawful possession of a weapon and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Sources told us he gave police the false name “Isaac McGinley” when stopped – a deception which led to the perverting the course of justice charge.It comes just days after we revealed the predator, who is on the Sex Offenders Register for life, fled Ireland and was believed to be in Scotland. He had been under Garda and Probation Service supervision since his release from the Midlands Prison at the end of June.However, a warrant for McGinley’s arrest was issued in September after he failed to inform gardaí of his whereabouts and stopped engaging with the Probation Service – both legal obligations under the Sex Offenders Act. Sources confirmed the sex fiend, who raped an elderly woman and a 13-year-old girl, vanished from garda monitoring weeks ago.(Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)His arrest in Scotland is now expected to lead to extradition proceedings to bring him back to face justice in Ireland. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Shortly after 12.30pm on Monday October 27, 2025, a 52-year-old man was arrested and charged for road traffic and offensive weapon offences and attempting to pervert the course of justice in Ayr.“A report was sent to the Procurator Fiscal. He appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court on October 28 and has been remanded in custody.”McGinley’s crimes remain among the most shocking in recent Irish history. In 2008, he broke into the home of an 85-year-old woman in Co Monaghan and repeatedly raped her.The pensioner, who suffered from dementia, was unable to testify but her earlier statement was read to the jury. For that horrific crime, McGinley was sentenced to 21 years in prison, of which he served 13 before his release from Arbour Hill Prison in 2022.He was already notorious for a 1998 conviction for the rape of a 13-year-old girl — the victim at the centre of the infamous “C Case”. This was the legal battle over whether she could travel to the UK for an abortion after becoming pregnant from the assault.In 2009 the survivor told RTE Radio of the devastating impact of the attack. She said: “He ruined my life and I am still coming to terms with that. My life is destroyed.” During McGinley’s 2009 trial for the Monaghan attack, Mr Justice Birmingham described it as “at the top of the upper end” of sexual offences.He told the court: “Within the spectrum of rapes, this is just about as bad as it gets.” McGinley has long been compared to notorious predator Larry Murphy and was once considered a person of interest in the disappearance of JoJo Dullard.His disappearance from supervision earlier this year triggered major alarm among law enforcement, who describe him as a dangerous and volatile sexual predator.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
