A man has been found guilty of a rape in Salford that an innocent man spent seventeen years in prison for
Malkinson spent 17 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of the crime
He was wrongly picked out at a police identity parade and happened to live near the crime scene, a remote area down a motorway embankment, in Little Hulton
Paul Quinn who was 29 at the time of the offences and who now lives in Exeter, Devon, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm and attempting to choke or strangle his victim to render her unconscious while he carried out the attack.
Today Quinn it can be revealed who is now 51 had already been convicted of serious sexual violence.
Yet, despite living on an estate across the road from where he is believed to have first encountered the victim on that July night, he was never on the police’s radar.
In 2022 a full DNA profile matching Quinn was located on the vest top the victim had been wearing when she was attacked. Quinn, then of Exeter but living in Little Hulton at the time of the attack, was arrested and interviewed.
When faced with the compelling evidence against him Quinn sought to explain away the presence of his DNA by claiming to have slept with two or three women a weekend at the time of the attack.
Quinn also claimed to have little knowledge of the incident beyond the fact that he recalled there had been some media coverage at the time, that an e-fit image of the attacker had been created and publicised by investigators, and that there had been an arrest.
However, subsequent enquiries into Quinn’s phone history showed a considerable recent interest in the case during the time when Mr Malkinson was successfully campaigning to prove his innocence.
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.”
