In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 35-year-old William McArthur was convicted of a series of physical and sexual attacks against seven women and children. McArthur—from Armadale, West Lothian—was found guilty of a four-year campaign of abuse that included the rape of a teenage girl and the attempted murder of a four-year-old child. It was reported that the investigation was triggered in January 2018 after the four-year-old girl was found to have sustained serious injuries while in his care at an address in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.
The investigation established that McArthur’s predatory behaviour spanned across multiple regions, including Dumfries, Armadale, and Grangemouth, between 2014 and 2018. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that the defendant subjected his victims to serious physical and sexual violence, leading to charges of attempted murder and three counts of rape. The prosecution reported that McArthur also pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking, demonstrating a pattern of calculated harassment alongside his physical assaults.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that McArthur was found guilty of five sexual offences, including the rape of a woman and a teenage girl, as well as the serious sexual assault of the four-year-old victim. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that in addition to the sexual violence, McArthur was convicted of the attempted murder of the child and three separate counts of assault. The investigation established that the injuries inflicted on the youngest victim were of the most grave nature, necessitating a massive multi-agency response to secure the convictions.
Judge-led proceedings concluded with McArthur being removed from the community to await a substantial prison sentence. For his actions in Armadale, Grangemouth, and Dumfries, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The judge noted that the combination of sexual predation and the attempted murder of a defenceless four-year-old child marked McArthur as an extreme danger to the public, requiring the most stringent post-release monitoring ever applied to a violent offender in Scotland.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Scotland, the status of William McArthur as of April 4, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: SERVING (Substantial custodial term; sentenced 2018).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Attempted murder; Rape of a child; Rape of a teenager; 11 counts total).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh; investigated by Police Scotland.
- Criminal Record: Attempted murder of a 4-year-old; Rape of a teenage girl; 4-year campaign against 7 victims.
- Origin: Armadale, West Lothian; offences in Dumfries and Grangemouth, Scotland.
Monitoring and Public Protection
McArthur is managed as a high-risk dangerous predator within the national prison estate and the West Lothian area. Due to the nature of his conduct—which involved the attempted murder of an infant and the rape of multiple victims—his management is a maximum priority for the Scottish MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) team. Authorities state that his history of stalking combined with extreme physical violence indicates a high level of calculated risk.
As a registered sex offender for life, then 35-year-old McArthur’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that any eventual release will be subject to the most restrictive licence conditions, including life-long monitoring of his residency and personal relationships. Any failure to notify police of his movements, any unauthorized proximity to children, or any return to stalking behaviour in Armadale or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of lethal sexual violence.
QUESTION – Given that the offender attempted to murder a four-year-old child he had sexually assaulted, do you believe that “Whole Life Orders” should be mandatory in Scotland for any individual convicted of the attempted murder of a child during a sexual offence?
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