A rapist who eluded justice for 20 years has been found guilty following the trial at Manchester Crown Court, of raping, choking and violently assaulting a woman in July 2003.

Paul Quinn, now 52, began following the woman who was walking home in the early hours of 19 July 2003. He approached her, tackled her down an embankment and subjected her to a violent attack, where she was choked until she was unconscious, raped, bitten, and severely beaten.

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.

“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.”

Paul Quinn, aged 29 at the time, was in the Little Hulton area in the early hours of 19 July 2003.

Between 4am and 5am, Quinn began to follow the victim from behind as she walked home alone.

After tackling her out of sight, he choked and bit her, fracturing her cheek in the attack, as well as raping her twice. After stealing her phone to prevent her calling for help, he left the scene, leaving the victim for dead.

The victim was taken first to the hospital to be treated for her injuries, which included a fractured cheek requiring surgery and later to the sexual assault referral centre for forensic examination. A number of samples were taken and retained which enabled forensic scientists to undertake extensive testing over time as DNA techniques advanced.

Building the case

Quinn was living in the Little Hulton area when the offence took place. He frequently passed over the bridge and so was familiar with the isolated location of the attack. Evidence was presented to the court to show that Quinn closely matched the description of the offender apart from the fact that the victim described a smooth chest and Quinn had a hairy chest.

Evidence from Quinn’s ex-partner was presented at court to confirm that Quinn regularly shaved his chest in summer. She specifically recalled the night of the attack and the fact that Quinn had returned home from a night out that evening without his shirt on.

Advances in forensic techniques over the two decades meant previously incomplete profiles could be retested and retained exhibits could be re-tested. Taken together, the results provided strong support that Quinns DNA is present in the samples taken from the victim and items of her clothing.

When Quinn was arrested and interviewed on 13 December 2022, he claimed he did not recognise the victim. He went on to say he had been sleeping with many women at the time of the attack.

When it was confirmed that traces of his DNA had been found on the victim’s body and items of the victims clothing, Quinn could offer no explanation beyond the possibility of having had a consensual ‘encounter’ with her on an earlier occasion that he could not remember.

When asked by the police, Quinn could recall reading about the attack that happened close to where he lived, but he claimed he had since forgotten about it.

Although there was no evidence found on his device, subsequent checks on his Google Cloud account told a different story. On multiple occasions, he searched for news articles on the rape of a woman in Little Hulton, more than a decade after the attack. Quinn also conducted several searches in relation to DNA samples, asking how long your DNA could be held on the police database.

Having considered all the evidence, the jury at Manchester Crown Court found Quinn guilty of two counts of rape, inflicting grievous bodily harm and choking with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He will be sentenced at the same court on a later date.