Johnny McDonagh was drinking 18 cans of lager a day when he attacked innocent dog walker Alan Wankling
Johnny McDonagh, of Foxes Walk in Coventry, aged 30(Image: Merseyside Police)
A violent racist called an innocent man a paedophile and broke his jaw before being caught in a paedophile hunter sting. Johnny McDonagh made the wholly unfounded accusation against dog walker Alan Wankling before battering him in a drunken stupor, having apparently been drinking 18 cans of lager a day at the time.
Months later, he then ventured to West Derby Road in order to meet with a 14-year-old girl who he had met on Facebook. But he was instead confronted by a group of paedophile hunters following days of lewd online chats with the supposed child, who he offered to pay £500 for naked pictures and said he planned to marry.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Wednesday, that Mr 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 in 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 has one previous conviction for theft in 2021. Paul Becker, defending, told the court: “He has not had much to do with the criminal justice system so far. He will be receiving his first custodial sentence. He struggles with communicating and grasping reality. I know that the defendant is struggling in custody.
“For somebody who is autistic, it is particularly difficult. The first thing he said to me was, ‘I just want to go home’. That may not be able to happen today.
“Very drunk, very stupid, very sorry, is the explanation. Drink has been a significant feature. The defendant’s father was in the Liverpool area, and the defendant would say that he was here to see his father. It was not that he travelled from the Midlands to Liverpool. He appreciates that he went to meet her. It was planned. The offence was committed.
“His father was present when he was arrested on the last occasion. I know that his father is very concerned about his son and the position he is in. The defendant went to a school for children with learning difficulties, leaving education at the age of 13. He was on benefits and consuming about 18 cans of lager each day. That may explain the violence, the abuse.
“He understands that he needs to address alcohol. He is an isolated young man, not particularly endowed with many friends. That may explain why he committed the online offences. He is anxious about the situation that he finds himself in and the risk of violence from other inmates.”
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.
“In mitigation, I will treat you as of previous good character and there is strong mitigation in your long standing mental health problems. Since childhood, you have been diagnosed with autism, ADHD and learning difficulties.
“In particular, I read of a long standing diagnosis of Tourette’s disorder with swearing ticks, which is obviously connected to some of your behaviour in the Nottingham offences. There is mitigation in the fact that this is your first custodial sentence, and you pleaded guilty.”