He had exchanged depraved messages with someone he thought was a child
A Coventry man has been jailed for three and a half years after a string of offences that saw him break an innocent dog walker's jaw, racially abuse arresting police officers and get stung by paedophile hunters after swapping depraved messages with someone he thought was a child.
Johnny McDonagh of Woodend admitted to the array of offences at Liverpool Crown Court this week. The incidents happened in the space of a few months in Nottingham and Liverpool, the latter while he was on bail for the former.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday (18 March), a man named Alan Wankling was walking his dog along Crow Park Avenue in Sutton on Trent, Nottinghamshire, on August 4 last year when he saw McDonagh's family in their front garden. The 30-year-old defendant then pulled up in his car and was said to have fallen out of his vehicle due to being "heavily intoxicated".
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, described how McDonagh, of Foxes Walk, Coventry, then "ran up and said he was going to break his jaw", calling Mr Wankling a paedophile before adopting a "boxing stance". He then swung his left fist at the "defenceless" complainant's face, making contact with his chin, before hitting him for a second time to the back of the head.
McDonagh followed this up with a further two blows with his right fist and two attempted kicks, although Mr Wankling was able to avoid being struck again. He then shouted: "I haven't done anything. I'm not a paedophile, I swear on the bible."
Mr Wankling's friends then took him into the back garden on their nearby home in order to protect him before police attended the scene and arrested McDonagh. Having been "initially calm" as he was transported to a police station, he became "suddenly agitated" and verbally abusive towards officers, accusing the driver of the patrol car of speeding.
Having been informed by the PC that they were travelling below the limit at 30mph, McDonagh responded by calling him a "c***" and hitting the back of his seat before telling him: "I can't stand your kind. I'm not being racist."
After being transferred into a police van due to the officers fearing for their safety, McDonagh continued with a tirade of racial slurs which persisted following his arrival into custody. This also saw him threaten to break one emergency worker's jaw and spit within the vehicle and on the ground.
Mr Wankling attended a walk-in centre the following day due to pain and bruising to his jaw. Following X-rays, it was determined that he had suffered a broken jaw, leading to a five-day stay in hospital and "major surgery", which involved the fitting of a titanium plate and six screws.
Having been released on bail following this incident, McDonagh then contacted a Facebook profile operated by paedophile hunter group Saving Children's Futures UK, which purported to be a 14-year-old girl, on December 21 2025. Over the course of the following days, he continued to message the so-called teenager via the social media site and WhatsApp, claiming that he was aged 16.
This saw McDonagh offer to pay for a taxi to take her to his home, as well as saying he would "treat her to food" and give her a £50 "gift". He went on to ask if she would "like him to get her pregnant", tell her that he would pay her £500 for nude photographs of herself and shared pictures of his penis.
McDonagh was also said to have sent "manipulative and controlling" messages to the decoy account, saying: "I am your boyfriend, now send me a nude picture. Do what you're told. Don't be shy. Is this what you're going to be like when we're married?"
On December 29, McDonagh then attended a pre-arranged meeting with the teen on West Derby Road in Tuebrook. There, undercover police officers happened to come across a confrontation between him and four members of the paedophile hunter group and arrested him.
McDonagh admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, racially aggravated harassment, attempted sexual communications with a child, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and breaching court bail, having failed to attend an earlier plea and trial preparation hearing. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver KC said: "You arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for penetrative sex. You travelled to the meeting place and were apprehended there by people who prevented your intended activities.
"Sexual images were sent. There was a significant disparity in age, and you lied about your age. You were on bail when you committed the second set of offences. The pre-sentence report finds you to be a high risk of serious harm to children."
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/jail-coventry-man-who-broke-33635145 
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2026 9:40 pm