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Quinn gets 24 years
Paul Quinn, 52, was sentenced to an extended 24-year term after a six-week trial at Manchester Crown Court for the 2003 rape of a woman in Little Hulton, near Salford, an attack that led to Andrew Malkinson’s wrongful conviction and 17 years in prison.
“- Published Andrew Malkinson has said the sentence given to the rapist responsible for the attack for which he was wrongly imprisoned for 17 years is an "insult"”
The BBC said Quinn was given a 24-year sentence for attacking a woman in the Little Hulton area of Salford in 2003, but could be eligible for parole in 14 years, while ITVX said the sentence was 24 years after new DNA technology linked Quinn to the crime.
ITVX reported the victim was walking along Cleggs Lane in Little Hulton in the early hours of 19 July 2003 when she was pushed down an embankment before being beaten, raped and strangled by Quinn.
At sentencing, Mr Justice Bright told Quinn, "You sat back and enjoyed your liberty at the expense of an innocent man," and the BBC quoted the judge describing the victim as "She is truly a hero."
Malkinson calls it an insult
Andrew Malkinson, who was released in 2020 after 17 years and whose conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2023, said the sentence given to Quinn was an "insult" because Quinn received a "softer sentence" than his life term.
The BBC quoted Malkinson saying, "I am insulted that this violent, depraved individual" received a softer sentence than was imposed on him, while the Irish News quoted him saying he was "insulted" after the "soft" sentence of the real rapist.
Both outlets tied Malkinson’s reaction to the parole timeline, with the BBC saying Quinn could be eligible for parole in 14 years and the Irish News saying Quinn would be eligible to apply for parole after serving 14 years.
The court heard the victim’s impact statement, and the BBC quoted her saying, "For [Quinn] it was one night of his life; for me it was one night that changed my life."
In sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Bright said it was "excruciating" for the victim to return to court for a second time, and the BBC recorded his line that "You sat back and enjoyed your liberty at the expense of an innocent man."
DNA, inquiry, and fallout
The BBC said jurors heard Quinn’s DNA was found on the woman’s vest and that he had searched online to see how long police kept samples, while ITVX said the case turned on new DNA technology that linked Quinn to the crime.
“ITV Granada Reports Zoe Muldoon has been toManchester Crown Court A man who violently beat and raped a woman in 2003 - in an attack that led to the wrongful conviction of another man who spent 17 years in prison - has been given an extended sentence of 24 years”
ITVX reported that after an e-fit and an identity parade, Andrew Malkinson was picked out despite no DNA evidence linking him to the crime, and it said Quinn was never linked to the case until 2022 when new evidence emerged.
The BBC said the victim, referred to as a "hero" by the judge, told the court the impact of the rape would "remain with me for life," and it also described how Quinn was a convicted sex offender at the time of the attack.
The fallout continues beyond sentencing, with the BBC noting that Malkinson failed in several appeals against his conviction in 2012 and 2020, and the Seattlepi/AP report saying a public inquiry is already underway after a 2024 review found flaws that could have exonerated Malkinson earlier.
Seattlepi/AP added that five former police officers and one current employee are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and it quoted Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick saying, "we will not allow time to be an obstacle to justice" for anyone with further information about Quinn and other possible sexual assaults.
