In 2019, the Offender Database reported that David McMullen, then 35, of Provanmill, Glasgow, was convicted of the attempted murder of a two-year-old boy. McMullen, a sushi chef and martial arts enthusiast trained in Muay Thai, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow following a vile and brutal attack that occurred just before Christmas 2016. While babysitting the child in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, McMullen delivered a “blunt force” blow so violent that it caused a rare and near-fatal tear to the boy’s colon and intestine.
The court heard that the toddler was left “gravely ill” and “freezing cold,” with his lips turning blue as his internal organs began to fail. When the boy’s mother returned from work, she found her son in horrendous pain, describing his stomach as feeling “quite hard.” Despite the serious medical evidence and a surgeon’s direct statement that the injury was “non-accidental,” the mother initially refused to believe that McMullen—a man she trusted—was responsible for such a sickening act of violence.
The prosecution argued that David McMullen used his martial arts training to “deliver a blow” of significant force to the tiny victim. Medical experts testified that the split to the colon and intestine was a “rare” injury typically seen in high-velocity accidents, confirming it was caused by deliberate, vile trauma. McMullen attempted to cover his tracks by claiming the boy was simply sick or that he had accidentally hit him with a door days prior, but the jury rejected these deplorable excuses, convicting him of attempted murder.
As a result of his conviction for this horrific and violent crime, David McMullen was sentenced in 2019 to 12 years in prison. Lord Armstrong described the attack as “wicked” and “deplorable,” noting that McMullen had breached the highest level of trust. He will be managed under strict supervision upon his eventual release, and remains a significant concern for public safety. Any presence in Glasgow, Cambuslang, or the wider South Lanarkshire area following his sentence will be heavily monitored by Police Scotland and social services to prevent further predatory or violent conduct.
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