Rapist Paul Quinn jailed for 24 years after wrongful 17-year conviction of Andrew Malkinson

He was found guilty in April of rape, strangulation and grievous bodily harm for his attack on a woman in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 2003.

Mr Malkinson was convicted of the rape in 2004, maintaining his innocence throughout the trial.

He was released from prison in 2020 after serving 17 years behind bars.

His conviction was finally revoked by the Court of Appeal in 2003 after DNA evidence revealed he could not have been the attacker.

The victim, 33-years-old at the time, was attacked in the early morning of July 19, 2003, whilst she was walking home in Little Hulton, north west of Manchester.

She was dragged by a motorway embankment and strangled to unconsciousness and subsequently raped.

The victim sustained significant injuries all over her body, including a fractured cheekbone.

Sentencing Paul Quinn at Manchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Bright said his victim is a "hero".

Mr Justice Bright told the court: "She, not you, Paul Quinn, is the person from this case who I will remember for the rest of my days. She is truly a hero."

He said it was obvious how "excruciating" it was for her to come back to court for a second time, adding: "She is a remarkable person."

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Mr Justice Bright said Quinn’s victim "thought she was going to die" during the attack.

The strangulation during the rape was "extreme", Mr Justice Bright said, as was the unconsciousness it caused.

"The fact remains that these injuries were intentionally inflicted on a woman who lay on the ground, unconscious, and completely defenceless," he said.

He described the attack as "unusually violent, even by the standards of stranger rapes".

Mr Malkinson was brought to the attention of the police who "swiftly" focused on him to be the prime suspect, to which he went on to be wrongfully convicted.

Mr Justice Bright said there had been "dire" effects on the the now-free man.

"It is utterly clear that you knew throughout that another man had been arrested, charged, convicted and imprisoned.

"You knew that his conviction was wrongful," the judge said.

In his sentencing remarks the judge said: "Taking the two rape counts as the lead offences, I will impose the same sentence for each.

"The sentence for count three and for count four will be as follows: There will be a custodial element of 21 years.

"I recognise that this is above the normal guideline range, even for a rape in the A1 category, but I consider this unavoidable given the extreme and unusual circumstances of this case.

"Added to this is an extension period of three years on account of dangerousness. This gives a total of 24 years."