A man has been convicted of a 2003 rape after an innocent individual was wrongfully imprisoned for 17 years in connection with the same crime. Paul Quinn, 52, was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm, and attempted strangulation related to the attack on a young mother in Little Hulton, Greater Manchester. Quinn, a convicted sex offender since adolescence, was identified through advanced DNA testing more than two decades after the assault.

The victim, a mother of two, was attacked in the early hours of July 19, 2003, near a motorway embankment as she walked home. Prosecutors described the assault as brutal, involving physical violence, strangulation to unconsciousness, and repeated rape. DNA evidence linking Quinn to the crime was uncovered during a forensic review in 2022, matching samples found on the victim’s clothing. The DNA sample had first been detected in 2007 but was not conclusively linked to Quinn until over a decade later. Quinn had provided his DNA in 2012 during a police operation targeting offenders from the 1990s.

Quinn, who grew up in Little Hulton before moving to Exeter in 2017, denied responsibility for the attack, suggesting alternative explanations for his DNA’s presence. During the trial, details emerged of his long criminal history, including two convictions for the rape of a child in the early 1990s and other offenses such as burglary and arson. He also admitted to extensive searching of online information about the case and wrongful convictions.

Andrew Malkinson, the man wrongfully convicted of the crime, was identified at an identity parade shortly after the attack and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004. Despite consistently maintaining his innocence, Malkinson spent 17 years in prison before his conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court in 2023 following the DNA breakthrough. He described the police investigation as flawed and accused authorities of seeking a quick conviction rather than pursuing the real perpetrator. Malkinson and his legal representatives have called for accountability regarding the failures that allowed Quinn to remain free for so long while an innocent man suffered in his place.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have come under intense scrutiny for their handling of the case. Investigations revealed that early DNA evidence identifying an unknown male was not fully pursued, and those findings were not acted upon for many years. The Criminal Cases Review Commission declined twice to refer Malkinson’s case for appeal, further delaying justice.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is currently investigating the conduct of six GMP officers—five former and one current—on allegations ranging from gross misconduct to criminal activity. The watchdog is examining issues including the destruction of evidence, the non-disclosure of key witnesses’ criminal records, and whether incentives were offered for testimony against Malkinson.

Greater Manchester Police have issued an unreserved apology to both the victim and Malkinson, acknowledging that justice took “two decades too late” and describing Quinn as a dangerous offender who evaded detection for far too long. Quinn faces sentencing on June 5 and is also under investigation as a suspect in additional serious sexual offences committed during the period he was at large. The victim has expressed relief at the conviction but noted that the impact of the crime and subsequent miscarriage of justice will be lifelong for all involved.