Paul Quinn, 52, viciously raped a lone woman by dragging her down to an isolated embankment off the M61 between Farnworth and Little Hulton in the early hours of July 19, 2003.
More than 20 years later a trial at Manchester Crown Court heard how innocent security guard Andrew Malkinson was wrongly convicted of Quinn’s crime.
Opening the trial John Price KC, prosecuting, described the jailing of Mr Malkinson as a “terrible miscarriage of justice, one of the worst there has been”.
Mr Malkinson was arrested, tried and convicted for the crime after being picked out of a digital line-up by the alleged victim and by two other witnesses at the time.
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Andrew Malkinson wrongly spent 17 years in jail (Image: PA)
He would go on to serve 17 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Giving evidence later, the alleged victim herself said that when Mr Malkinson was brought for trial back in 2004 she doubted he was the real culprit on seeing him in court.
But she said that back in 2004 an authority figure she referred to as being “higher than a policeman” told her at the time that this was simply “trial nerves”.
Retired Detective Inspector Stephen Bell, who led the 2003 investigation told the trial this year he had little memory of the case and could not recall meeting or speaking with the victim.
Asked by Lisa Wilding KC, defending, about whether anyone on his team said the victim was not sure about the identity of her attacker Mr Bell said: “I don’t remember that ma’am.”
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Paul Quinn in his younger days (Image: GMP)
When Quinn himself was questioned during the trial, he denied being one of only two people, aside from Mr Malkinson himself, who knew the wrong man had been jailed for all those years.
Crucial evidence was heard during the trial how back in 2019, before public knew about Mr Malkinson’s innocence, Quinn had been searching about him online.
Just minutes after searching an article about Mr Malkinson, Quinn was found to have searched “wrongly convicted cases UK”.
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Paul Quinn in his police interview (Image: GMP)
During a tense cross-examination session, Mr Price said: “It looks, doesn’t it Mr Quinn, that you knew that there might have been a wrongful conviction long before everybody else?”
He added: “In September 2019 there were two people who knew that Mr Malkinson was a wrongful conviction and one of them was you and one was Mr Malkinson.”
Mr Price put it to Quinn that he knew this because he, not Mr Malkinson, was the man who had raped the woman that night.
Further DNA evidence also helped to expose Quinn as the real culprit.
Quinn, who had grown up in Little Hulton, moved to Exeter in the south west in 2017, where he was still living when he was eventually arrested and interviewed in 2022.
During his police interview he claimed his DNA may have been found on the alleged rape victim because of the amount of sexual contact he had at the time.
He claimed this would often involve “copping off” with women he had met on nights out in Farnworth.
But in a later interview, police told him that the DNA had in fact been found on the woman’s vest.
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Paul Quinn committed the rape back in 2003 (Image: GMP)
On being brought to court he denied his crimes but was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape, one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of choking with intent to rape.
Speaking after the verdict, Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said: “Today has come two decades too late for all involved in this horrendous case.
“To the victim of this heinous crime and to Andrew Malkinson, the victim of this profound miscarriage of justice, I apologise sincerely and unreservedly on behalf of Greater Manchester Police.
“I want to pay tribute to the victim who has shown unbreakable strength from day one to help bring her attacker to justice.
“And I commend the courage of Mr Malkinson who, despite everything, has supported this case.
“Our words can never repair the harm caused by this ordeal.
“Paul Quinn is a dangerous man. He is the one responsible for this horrific attack, and he has known it all along for more than 20 years.
“The harm he has done to the victim and the cowardice of watching the wrong man go to prison for his crime is unforgivable.
“The officers and staff working on this reinvestigation have put everything into bringing the true attacker to book.
“I want to thank the whole team for their unwavering commitment to getting long-awaited justice for the victim.
“However, while this is a significant moment for all concerned, I know today’s outcome only ends the criminal chapter in this case.
“We will continue to support the ongoing inquiry into Mr Malkinson’s wrongful conviction, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s investigation, to get much needed answers for all concerned.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, senior investigating officer on the case, said: “My thoughts today are with the victim of this horrific attack who, despite having to relive the events of that night during a second investigation, has shown great strength in supporting the investigation team’s efforts to bring her attacker to justice.
“I hope that she can finally move on with her life knowing that her true attacker is now behind bars.
“Throughout this unprecedented investigation, my team and I have known the importance of making sure we get this absolutely right for everyone connected with this case.
“We began with crucial evidence that identified Quinn as a suspect, but it was only through painstaking investigative work involving numerous experts and witnesses that we have been able to satisfy the jury of Quinn’s guilt.
“Paul Quinn is a very dangerous man who has clearly been a risk to women.
“We are alive to the possibility he may have offended on more than this one occasion, and so I encourage anyone with information or concerns relating to the details of this case to know they can approach us in confidence.
“This case demonstrates that every contact leaves a trace.
“Put simply: if you’re an offender, you will be caught, and if you’re a victim, time is no barrier to justice.”
Karen Tonge of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “At the heart of this case is a victim who has waited more than 20 years for justice.
“Today’s result sends a clear message that the passage of time will never stop the CPS from fighting to secure justice for all victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
“Paul Quinn carried out an appalling and brutal attack on a lone young woman in broad daylight, with no thought for the devastating impact his crimes would have on her.
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The trial took place at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)
“Quinn compounded her suffering when he stood by while an innocent man was wrongly convicted of his crimes.
“When the law caught up with Quinn, he had no sensible suggestion to make as to how his DNA got onto the victim. One explanation was innocent transfer. Another was to infer that there had been consensual contact between the two of them. The extent of his own promiscuity meant that he had no recollection.
“The prosecution team worked tirelessly with the police, and forensic scientists to build this case and present a wealth of evidence that meant the jury saw through Quinn’s lies and convicted him of the charges he faced.
“I hope today’s result provides some closure for the victim. It is a testament to her strength and her character, and her unwavering support undoubtedly contributed to Quinn’s conviction.”
Quinn, of Barton Whipton Road, Exeter, will be brought back to court to be sentenced on Friday June 5.
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