Man Who Kidnapped Teen Was Previously Convicted of Murder
A quarter of a century separates Paul Sharpe's first conviction for killing a woman from his latest guilty plea over an entirely different victim.
Sharpe, 56, from Stockport, admitted kidnapping a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint and a series of sexual offences at Minshull Street Crown Court this week, ahead of sentencing in September.
What Sharpe Admitted To
Sharpe threatened the girl with a knife, put her in a headlock and forced her into his car in Altrincham at around 7:30pm on 18 May.
He drove her to a Manchester Airport car park and restrained her wrists and ankles, before moving between several car parks over the following hours, forcing her to drink alcohol and sexually assaulting her, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Police found the pair roughly eight hours later, at 3:40am, in Sharpe's car at a hotel car park in Knutsford, after the girl's mother reported her missing and CCTV helped officers trace his vehicle.
Sharpe pleaded guilty to kidnapping, an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, threatening with a bladed article, and administering a noxious substance with intent.
The Murder Nobody Had Connected to Him Yet
Back in October 2000, Sharpe murdered a 28-year-old mother from Bolton he had been in a relationship with.
The pair met after she listened to Sharpe hosting a radio show under the alias Paul Shaw on Tower FM.
He strangled her after she threatened to end the relationship, then went on the run for three days before handing himself in and telling officers he had "flipped."
Sharpe was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court the following March, with the judge telling him: "You deprived her of her life and her son of his mother."
Why the Connection Matters Now
Sharpe was in his early thirties at the time of the 2000 murder and is now 56, meaning he was released from that life sentence at some point in the intervening years before committing this year's offences.
Court reporting on his May charges did not initially draw the connection to his earlier conviction, and the link has only become public alongside his guilty plea this week.
What the Prosecutor Said
Hannah Gee, senior Crown prosecutor for the North West, said Sharpe "gave no thought" to the impact of his actions on his victim.
She thanked the girl and her family for supporting the prosecution, noting their cooperation meant Sharpe's guilty plea "spared her from the ordeal of a trial."
Sharpe is due to be sentenced on 4 September.
TL;DR
- Paul Sharpe, 56, pleaded guilty to kidnapping a 15-year-old girl at knifepoint and a series of sexual offences.
- He held the girl for roughly eight hours across several car parks before police found them in Knutsford.
- Sharpe was previously convicted of murdering a 28-year-old Bolton woman in 2000.
- He is due to be sentenced on 4 September at Minshull Street Crown Court.
- Prosecutors thanked the victim and her family for supporting the case through to a guilty plea.
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Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
