A rapist has finally been convicted more than 20 years after his attack, as the innocent man wrongly jailed for the crime speaks out after losing 17 years of his life.

19:46, Fri, Apr 17, 2026 Updated: 19:47, Fri, Apr 17, 2026

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Paul Quinn was found guilty in court (Image: Men Media)

A man has finally been brought to justice more than two decades after his brutal attack, as the innocent man wrongly jailed for the crime spoke of the “years stolen” from his life.

Paul Quinn, 52, has been convicted of raping a 33-year-old mother-of-two in a horrific attack in the early hours of July 19, 2003, near the M61 at Little Hulton. The woman was stalked, dragged down an embankment and strangled until she lost consciousness before being left bloodied and badly injured.

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Andrew Malkinson when he was falsely convicted of rape in 2004 (Image: MEN MEDIA)

On Friday, April 17, a jury at Manchester Crown Court found Quinn guilty of two counts of rape, inflicting grievous bodily harm and attempting to choke, suffocate or strangle with intent.

The conviction comes after one of the most serious miscarriages of justice in recent UK history saw Andrew Malkinson wrongly imprisoned for 17 years for the same crime.

Mr Malkinson was convicted in 2004 based largely on eyewitness identification evidence, despite the presence of DNA at the scene that did not match him. He remained behind bars for more than a decade after tests in 2007 identified an unknown male DNA profile.

It was not until 2023 that his conviction was finally overturned following a long campaign and fresh DNA testing, which ultimately led police to Quinn through a match on the national database.

Speaking after the verdict, Mr Malkinson said he was “content that the right result has finally been achieved” but criticised the original investigation.

“If the police had acted as they should have done, Paul Quinn could have been caught a long time ago,” he said. “Instead, they wanted a quick conviction and I was a handy patsy forced to spend over 17 years in prison.”

Paul Quinn court case

Paul Quinn who has been found guilty of raping a 33-year-old mother-of-two (Image: GMP/PA Wire)

Quinn, who was 29 at the time of the attack, only came onto police radar in 2022 after a speculative DNA search linked him to the victim’s clothing. Investigators later uncovered internet searches showing he had looked up the case and other wrongful convictions.

During his trial, Quinn attempted to explain away the DNA evidence by claiming he had lived a promiscuous lifestyle, but the jury rejected his account.

The case has prompted a major investigation into how the miscarriage of justice occurred. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is examining the actions of several officers involved in the original inquiry, with some facing potential misconduct proceedings.

Greater Manchester Police has already issued a formal apology to Mr Malkinson, acknowledging the devastating impact of his wrongful conviction.

Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Steph Parker said: “The fact that Andrew (Malkinson) was imprisoned for 17 years for a crime he didn’t commit is clearly a failing of Greater Manchester Police, and the wider criminal justice system.

"And for that, we are absolutely sorry. "We are determined that this cannot happen again and we also offer our apologies to the victim, who we’ve let down.

“But I am absolutely confident – and the IOPC (Independent Office of Police Conduct) will tell you themselves – that they are determined to find answers for what went on in 2003, and equally we are supporting them with that, and we will learn from whatever findings arise from their investigation.

“There are a number of mistakes and there are a number of allegations that have been aimed at Greater Manchester Police and the wider criminal justice system over the years.

“I cannot say that there is one single element that has caused this to occur.

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“We know that some of the exhibits were disposed of. We know that there were queries around the identification procedure.

“But we really need to understand how those errors occurred, and why those errors occurred, and only at that point would we be able to understand whether there is blame for the police, for anybody else, and indeed, if there is, I can assure you, we will learn from that, because we cannot let this happen again.”