Hong Kong's own ‘Tinder Swindler’ pleads guilty to domestic abuse in Scotland

Kieran Donnelly, the infamous romance scammer who was deported from Hong Kong in 2018 over accusations of theft and overstaying his visa, pleaded guilty in a Scottish court late last month to four counts of domestic abuse stemming from his relationships with women in Scotland between 2019 and 2020. 

Also known as Keir Breslin, Donnelly faced charges related to harassing and being domestically violent toward four women. He pleaded guilty to these charges in court and was sentenced to attend a two-year domestic violence counseling program through the Caledonian Men’s Domestic Violence Project. 

In addition, the court issued a two-year non-molestation order barring Donnelly from contacting the four women. 

To ensure his compliance, Donnelly must return to court in July to check on his progress. The sentence serves as an alternative to prison time, but if Donnelly fails to meet the conditions, he could still face imprisonment. 

In 2018, Kieran Donnelly faced serious allegations in Hong Kong, where he was accused of defrauding both men and women. According to Dimsum Daily's report, two women filed police reports stating that Donnelly had stolen HK$6000 in cash, a HK$1,500 watch, and a notebook from their respective homes.  

He was eventually arrested in Hong Kong after failing to appear on the theft charges and subsequently deported for overstaying his visa.   

In Scotland, Donnelly's victims have reported that he would frequently request to borrow money but never fulfill his promise to repay it. Additionally, they have mentioned instances where cash and personal belongings, including toiletries, mysteriously vanished from their homes. The same pattern of behavior is evident in the statements provided by women who dated him in Hong Kong. They recall him conveniently claiming to have forgotten his wallet or bank card, thus borrowing money with no intention of returning it.  

The Paisley Sheriff Court in Scotland recently heard about the distressing incidents involving Donnelly's harassment of women in multiple locations. From August 2019 to January 2020, when he first returned from Hong Kong, Donnelly targeted women in Glasgow, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, and Dumbarton. The court was informed by the depute fiscal that Donnelly had become the subject of an investigation by Police Scotland's domestic violence team. The prosecutor stated, "The accused has been identified as a target of that group, and an investigation has been initiated based on the report made by one of the victims in 2020."  

Six women were initially implicated in the complaint against Donnelly. However, he pleaded not guilty to the charges from the two complainants. Surprisingly, his plea was accepted by the court.

Scottish journalist Catriona Stewart from The Herald conducted interviews with Donnelly's victims, who shared their distressing experiences. To protect their privacy, the victims' names have been withheld. In these interviews, the victims recount the harrowing stories of their encounters with Donnelly:  

One Hong Kong victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, shared her experience: "We only went on a handful of dates when I was living in Hong Kong but when I broke up with him he responded worse than my ex-husband did to our divorce. He seemed to take it well to his face but just about a week later the messages started coming through, increasingly threatening messages, and then the phone calls started. It was absolutely awful. So stressful and relentless. Also, I didn't know the guy so I didn't know what he was capable of so it became terrifying. I was watching over my shoulder all the time."  

Donnelly's victims revealed that he frequently boasted about his extravagant lifestyle, claiming to own multiple properties in Hong Kong and a luxurious flat in London worth approximately £1 million.  

The Herald Scotland has reported on the Hong Kong transcript of official complaints and supporting testimonies filed by women who dated Donnelly.  

According to one woman's account, the relationship with Donnelly caused such extreme stress that she ended up being hospitalized.  

In another incident, a woman said she lent Donnelly a significant sum of money, which he never returned.  

Furthermore, women have taken to ex-pat Facebook pages in Hong Kong to warn others, both men and women, about engaging in any relationship with Donnelly. One woman's post read, "This is Kieran Donnelly. He is a manipulative con man who has been targeting men and women in Hong Kong for several years. He tells very good sob stories and steals money and valuables from people all over the city."  

The subsequent victims in Scotland, whose names have been changed for privacy concerns, also made damning statements; Grace, one of the victims, shared her experience with Donnelly, whom she initially encountered on the dating app Plenty of Fish in 2019. She admitted that her first impression of him was not positive, stating, "I saw his picture and thought, 'No, I'm not really keen on him, he thinks he's God's gift.'"

Despite her initial reservations, Donnelly messaged Grace, and they began chatting, eventually arranging a date a couple of weeks later. During their conversations, Grace felt a sense of intimacy building between them. However, when Donnelly suggested booking a hotel for their first meeting, she declined. Despite her refusal, Donnelly persisted, and she recounted, "Before I knew it, I'd booked the hotel and paid for it."  

Red flags started to emerge early on in their date. Donnelly began accusing Grace of showing interest in another man. She explained, "I had been with my husband for 20 years, and he's the nicest man - not jealous or abusive. We're still friends, so I thought, 'Maybe this is what men are like these days.'"

Their relationship lasted four weeks, but Donnelly always stayed at Grace's home, with her never knowing where he lived. Throughout their brief relationship, Donnelly's jealousy and explosive temper became evident. Grace recalled an incident when Donnelly took her phone and blocked one of her male friends on WhatsApp. She stated, "He was shouting at me and screaming, very aggressive. So, I was shouting at him to get out of the house, but he wouldn't leave, so I ended up going to bed while he stayed on the couch."  

Grace also experienced several strange occurrences that aligned with other women's experiences, such as missing money and personal items. Overwhelmed by the situation, Grace requested a break from the relationship. She explained, "I was exhausted from work and needed some time to myself. He immediately responded with, 'Who are you shagging?'"  

At this point, Grace recognized the red flags and voiced her concerns about Donnelly's jealousy and undermining behavior. She emphasized, "That's when it became abusive. We are all strong, independent women in our 40s. I've never had a man tell me what to do." Donnelly became increasingly abusive, hurling derogatory remarks such as, "You're nothing but an educated tart."  

Following the end of their relationship in October, Grace started receiving threatening messages via text and Facebook from unknown numbers and individuals. Concerned for her family's safety, she decided to report the incidents to the police. Additionally, she discovered a Facebook support group for individuals who claimed to be victims of Donnelly during his time in Hong Kong.  

In January 2020, the police contacted Grace to provide a formal statement. Reflecting on her decision to come forward, she stated, "I couldn't let this continue because he's going to seriously harm people. He has a pattern of behavior that he won't stop."  

Emma also noticed the red flags early on in her interactions with Donnelly. She met him on a dating app in July 2019 and agreed to meet on Fair Monday. Donnelly shared a story about financial troubles in Hong Kong and claimed to have lost his bank card. Concerned, Emma offered to have him over for lunch at her place.  

"He started discussing babies," she recalled. "He mentioned wanting to purchase a baby from the internet, which struck me as extremely odd."  

Similar to Grace, Donnelly overstayed his welcome by refusing to leave and eventually falling asleep on her couch. On their second date, he asked Emma to lend him money, citing ongoing difficulties in managing his overseas bank accounts. To her surprise, he arrived at her house with a suitcase.  

"He claimed to have a prestigious job in Hong Kong," Emma shared. "He was wearing expensive Louis Vuitton trainers and appeared to have wealth. There was no reason to doubt him."  

Donnelly further boasted about owning a £1 million flat in London and having property in Hong Kong.  

Grace, who is in her 40s, was going through a tough time when she first encountered Donnelly. Initially, he appeared charming and attentive. Grace explained, "I had just ended a relationship, and I was in a dark place. I felt a bit worthless."  

Reflecting on her past experiences, she admitted, "If I met him now, I don't know if I would have allowed him into my life the way I did back then."  

However, Donnelly's possessiveness manifested quickly. He bombarded Grace with constant texts, obsessively inquiring about her whereabouts and accusing her of being involved with other men. Despite her concerns, Donnelly managed to convince her that she was overreacting. Grace made the decision to go out with him again, this time attending a concert at Kelvingrove Bandstand in Glasgow.  

Recalling the evening, she described it as "a disaster from start to finish." The situation took a turn for the worse when they went to the restaurant Stravaigan, where Donnelly displayed aggressive and inappropriate behavior towards a couple enjoying drinks at the bar.  

Grace recounted, "The woman told me, 'You're far too intelligent for him, you're too nice.' Something inside me snapped, and I decided that I wouldn't leave with him that night. Instead, I chose to stay with these people."  

She firmly informed Donnelly that she would not be leaving with him, and a physical altercation ensued involving the group of four as the couple attempted to protect Grace from Donnelly.  

After ending her relationship with Donnelly, Grace, like the other women, began receiving disturbing messages, phone calls, and Facebook messages at all hours of the day and night. Frustrated and feeling foolish, she expressed, "Until I met the other women, I felt so stupid. It seems like he carefully chooses his victims, and I can't believe I was one of them."  

Two of the victims shared more personal details about their relationships with Donnelly, which they believed were conveyed to Police Scotland and formed part of the charges against him. However, they were disheartened to discover that these allegations had not been pursued, and three out of the four women expressed dissatisfaction with the communication surrounding the case.  

Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, highlighted that poor communication is a recurring issue in such cases. She stated, "No survivor should have to learn about their case through the media. We frequently hear stories of survivors feeling let down by inadequate communication from the justice system. Those who have had positive experiences often attribute it to effective communication, which can make a significant difference. Varying experiences in communication are simply unacceptable. At the very least, survivors deserve consistent and reliable communication from all levels of the justice system."  

In response, a spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service assured that prosecutors are dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of domestic abuse and ensuring fair and effective prosecution of such crimes. They emphasized that prosecutorial action is taken when reports from the police contain sufficient evidence of a crime and when it is deemed appropriate and in the public interest to do so.  

Cathy also encountered Donnelly online and initially had limited interaction with him when they first met in 2019. However, the situation quickly took a nasty turn. "It's like he has something missing in his brain," she expressed. "The guy is a complete predator. He's simply not a good person. There's no shame or conscience in him whatsoever."  

After going on a few dates, Cathy embarked on a pre-planned vacation with a female friend. While she was away, Donnelly began bombarding her with messages, questioning her activities and whether she was involved with other men. Frustrated, she blocked him, expecting to put an end to the communication.  

To her surprise, he appeared unannounced at her home one evening, forcefully entering the premises. Cathy immediately demanded that he leave, but he claimed he couldn't catch a train that late and ended up falling asleep on her sofa. While he slept, his phone continuously beeped with message alerts, prompting Cathy to take a look. "I discovered numerous women," she revealed. "He had sent them the exact same messages he had sent me, which I found absolutely disgusting."  

Feeling the need to expose Donnelly's deceit, Cathy photographed him and sent the picture to a group message with the other women. "I wanted them to know that he was actually in my house and lying to all of us," she explained.  

Shortly after, Cathy received a phone call from a woman warning her about Donnelly's dangerous nature. The woman requested Cathy's email address and sent her information about Donnelly's time in Hong Kong. At that moment, Donnelly woke up, and the situation escalated. "And that's when things just got out of hand," Cathy recounted. Donnelly locked her inside her own home and stayed overnight, leaving her terrified about what he might do. 

The next morning, Donnelly woke up whistling, took a shower, and left, casually mentioning that he would see her soon.  

However, the abusive messages began pouring in; he accused Cathy of playing a dangerous game and relentlessly called her home and workplace during the early hours. The messages were constant, filled with threats and harassment. "He said I might get acid in my face. He said he was going to come to my work and humiliate me," Cathy recalled.  

Even long after the ordeal, she lived in constant fear of running into him. One night, while on a night out in Glasgow city center, the mere possibility of encountering him left her paralyzed with fear, forcing her to return home.  

"It has been an absolutely dreadful ordeal, and I feel sorry for any woman who comes into contact with this man because he has no genuine intentions," Cathy emphasized. "I spoke to him extensively before meeting him, and yet, on the very first night, the alarm bells were ringing. I should have known."  

Emma was one of the women who received Cathy's message the night Donnelly stayed in her home.  

She had only met him two or three times when the picture appeared on her phone. "I feel like I've had a lucky escape," she said.  

Even though they had barely met, Emma said Donnelly became aggressive when she said she didn't want to see him again, phoning her up to 20 times in the space of half an hour and calling her in the early hours of the morning.  

She would block his number, and he would ring or message from another phone.  

"We would all seem to get the same calls at the same time, and he would say things like, 'You've messed with the wrong person. The last person that tried to do something like this to me they've disappeared, and it's not a coincidence'.  

"I did worry because I did think, I don't know what he's capable of."  

Red flags were apparent early on for Emma too. She says for one of their dates, they went shopping in Glasgow city center, and Donnelly appeared from the changing rooms on to the shop floor in just his underpants.  

"I did find him completely bananas," she said. "That incident in the shop - I was a bit mortified and wondered has he got a screw loose."  

Cathy firmly declared, "I said I'll never do online dating again. I just think it's dangerous, and now I would be terrified to meet anybody in those circumstances. I'm quite a strong person, but this guy totally knocked the stuffing out of me. I've never felt vulnerable ever, and now I've just got this feeling of vulnerability when it comes to men. Look at Kieran - this has just caused a trail of destruction everywhere."  

Donnelly's defense attorney clarified in court, "He wanted to make it clear that he had 'pleaded his guilt,' but had not been charged while living in Hong Kong." The lawyer further acknowledged, "He accepts that his conduct is serious and understands that a custodial sentence is an option."  

Despite the ongoing police investigation and court case, Donnelly remains active on dating apps, with his profile still appearing to be active.  

All four women strongly advise others to exercise caution when meeting men they have connected with online. 

(Callan Williamson/The Herald Scotland/Dimsum Daily)