Convicted killer jailed for life again after kidnapping girl, 15, at knifepoint in Altrincham

Paul Sharpe, 56, abducted a 15-year-old girl in Greater Manchester and sexually assaulted her. The teen left her own DNA in his car, helping secure his conviction.

Girl, 15, tears out own hair to trap convicted killer who abducted her in Altrincham

A 15-year-old girl deliberately pulled out strands of her own hair and smeared nasal mucus inside her abductor's car — evidence that helped convict a previously jailed murderer who kidnapped and sexually assaulted her in Greater Manchester.

Paul Sharpe, 56, of Portswood, Stockport, seized the teenager in a chokehold and forced her into his vehicle in Altrincham on 18 May, the Daily Express reports. He was sentenced to a second life term at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 4 September, with a minimum of eight years to serve before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

Sharpe had previously been jailed for life in 2001 for strangling an ex-partner in October 2000. He was released on licence in April 2013 after serving a minimum term of 11 years.

"Every parent's worst nightmare"

Judge Mark Savill told Sharpe in court: "The facts of this case are chilling. To describe the victim's experience at your hands as an appalling ordeal would be wholly inadequate." He added: "You, Paul Sharpe, are every parent's worst nightmare."

Prosecutor Alaric Bassano told the court that in the months before the kidnapping, Sharpe had used his mobile phone to record what appeared to be reconnaissance drives. In one recording, a voice is heard saying "the abduction point would be here" while he searched for secondary schools on his phone.

On the day of the abduction, the girl was walking home when she encountered Sharpe, who, in the words of the court, was "cruising the streets" in search of a young girl to abduct. He initially told her a fictitious story — that her father owed someone money and he had been asked to take her. He then bound her wrists and ankles with neckties as he drove to a series of secluded car parks.

Phone searches and sexual assault

Sharpe's mobile phone contained recordings of women's legs filmed covertly at desks, as well as internet searches including "schoolgirl feet" and phrases relating to unconscious and restrained victims. He removed the girl's socks and subjected her to a sexual assault involving a foot fetish. He also made repeated attempts to force her to drink a "yellowy liquid", which she at times only pretended to consume.

Mr Bassano told the court the victim feared throughout her ordeal that she was going to be raped and killed. It was that fear, he said, that prompted her to act: she deposited her DNA on various surfaces inside the car, including pulling out strands of her own hair and leaving them behind.

The alert came when a dog walker reported hearing a young girl crying in a church car park in Knutsford, with an older male voice urging her to "take a drink". Officers arrived after the vehicle had left but later traced it to a hotel car park in the same town, where the teenager emerged visibly shaken. Sharpe was arrested at the scene.

"She thought she was going to be raped and murdered"

Judge Savill praised the victim's conduct in terms rarely heard in a sentencing remarks. "Simply put, the reason she did this was because she thought she was going to be raped and murdered by you," he said. "Few adults would have displayed such presence of mind and it is impossible not to be impressed by her bravery. The victim is a giant. You are anything but."

When interviewed by detectives, Sharpe claimed the kidnapping was unplanned and said he had been overwhelmed by personal difficulties — no electricity at home, an impending driving ban, a recent resignation from his job — and had wanted to talk to a stranger before taking his own life.

He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to kidnap, kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, and sexual assault.

In a victim statement, the teenager said she now suffers from panic, anxiety, sleeplessness and nightmares following what she described as "the worst eight hours" of her life.

Hannah Gee of the Crown Prosecution Service said after sentencing: "This was a harrowing experience for the victim and her family. I hope that with Sharpe now back behind bars, they can begin to move forward."

Detective Inspector Karl Perry of Greater Manchester Police said: "The victim has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Through her bravery and actions, she no doubt made it harder for Sharpe to carry out whatever acts he had planned."

Source: Daily Express