A convicted murderer who kidnapped a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint on an Altrincham street and subjected her to an ordeal lasting several hours has been jailed for life.
Paul Sharpe, 56, of Stockport, was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court today to life imprisonment with a minimum term of eight years.
He was sentenced for six offences committed on May 18th this year to which he pleaded guilty in July:
- Kidnap - life with a minimum term of eight years
- Committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence - life with a minimum term of eight years
- Sexual assault - three years and four months
- Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child - two years
- Threatening with a bladed article - two years
- Administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve - two years and four months
At the earlier hearing in July, senior CPS prosecutor Hannah Gee described Sharpe as a convicted murderer.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning Sharpe will serve a minimum of eight years before he can be considered for parole. Release at that point is not automatic.
The victim had been studying at Sale Library before setting off home with friends at around 5.50pm. At 6.10pm she called her parents to say she was on her way, and around 20 minutes later told her boyfriend she was roughly five minutes from home but that her phone battery was about to die. It was the last contact anyone had from her that evening.
As she walked along Bradgate Road in Altrincham, she noticed a grey Ford parked nearby and a man in a high-visibility jacket pressing doorbells in the area.
Footage of the moments leading up to the kidnap, as well as the arrest, can be viewed here (supplied by Greater Manchester Police):
Sharpe approached her from behind, put her in a headlock and threatened to stab her if she did not get into his car. Feeling a knife pressed against her and fearing for her life, she got into the back of the vehicle.
He claimed her family owed him money before driving her to a car park near Manchester Airport, where he tied her wrists and ankles.
Her family, concerned she had not come home, called police at 9.22pm to report her missing, and officers immediately began enquiries to trace her.
Over the following hours Sharpe drove her to a number of locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. He forced her to change clothing and made further threats, telling her police would be searching for them.
The girl had an iPad in her bag with Find My enabled, allowing her boyfriend to pass location information to officers. At 12.09am the device showed a location on Rostherne Lane in Knutsford.
When officers arrived in the area, a member of the public reported seeing a light-coloured vehicle parked near a cemetery and hearing what sounded like a distressed female nearby.
Extensive CCTV and ANPR enquiries identified a light-coloured Ford Focus in the area at the relevant time, which was found to be registered to Sharpe. Urgent phone work showed both his and the victim's phones moving through the same areas.
Sharpe drove the girl to a farm, where a sexual assault took place, before moving on to a location near Cottons Hotel in Knutsford.
At around 3.40am on May 19, Cheshire Police officers found Sharpe's car in the hotel car park with both him and the victim inside. She was immediately safeguarded.
Sharpe was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and possession of a bladed article, and later further arrested on suspicion of voyeurism, two counts of sexual assault, and kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence. He had himself been reported missing from his home address in Stockport by his partner earlier the same day.
Detective Inspector Karl Perry, of GMP's Criminal Investigation Department, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for a young girl who was simply making her way home. Sharpe targeted a vulnerable victim, subjected her to hours of fear and intimidation, and went on to sexually assault her.
"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.
"The victim and her family are being fully supported by specialist officers and will continue to receive as much support as they need.
"I hope today's sentence provides her with some measure of justice and demonstrates our commitment to pursuing dangerous offenders and bringing them before the courts.
"I would also like to thank the officers, staff and members of the public whose assistance helped us quickly trace Sharpe and safely recover the victim."
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: "In policing there are no borders and this coordinated effort between GMP and Cheshire Police's Force Control Centre, response officers and Armed Response Vehicle colleagues was pivotal in detaining a dangerous offender.
"I would like to extend my thanks to the officers involved in locating the vehicle and subsequently arresting Sharpe. Their swift and decisive actions prevented further harm coming to a young girl who had already suffered such a terrible ordeal.
"This case is an important reminder of how police forces work together to safeguard our communities and protect members of the public."
