Police discovered Paul Sharpe, 56, a convicted murderer, in a hotel car park in Knutsford, Cheshire, with his 15-year-old victim after an eight-hour ordeal. He had forced the girl into his car on Bradgate Road in Altrincham the previous evening, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Kidnapping and Threats
The kidnapping occurred at around 7:30pm on May 18 when Sharpe threatened the girl with a knife, put her in a headlock, and forced her into his vehicle. Claiming her father owed him money, he drove to an airport car park, where he tied her wrists and ankles with a necktie, the court heard.
Throughout the evening, Sharpe moved between different car parks, forcing the girl to drink alcohol and sexually assaulting her. He also performed a sex act in her presence. The ordeal ended when police arrested Sharpe approximately eight hours after the kidnapping. The girl had been reported missing by her mother, and extensive CCTV enquiries helped detectives identify Sharpe's car.
Guilty Plea and Charges
Sharpe, from Portwood, Stockport, pleaded guilty at Minshull Street Crown Court on July 3 to six offences, including kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual activity in the presence of a child, and making threats with a bladed article. He also admitted committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and administering a noxious thing with intent to injure, aggrieve, or annoy.
In interview, Sharpe claimed he had been feeling bad and kidnapped the girl thinking it would be easier than kidnapping an adult. He said he wasn't thinking clearly and intended to release her at daylight, then end his own life.
Prosecutor's Statement
Senior prosecutor for the CPS Hannah Gee said: "Paul Sharpe, a convicted murderer, kidnapped an innocent girl at knifepoint in broad daylight. In this terrifying incident, the victim was held captive for eight hours while Sharpe forced her to drink alcohol and sexually assaulted her. Sharpe gave no thought to the impact his actions, for his own depraved reasons, would have on his victim. Although his guilty pleas today have spared her from the ordeal of a trial, I would like to thank the girl, and her family, for supporting this prosecution and ensuring this dangerous offender is back where he belongs."
Sharpe will be sentenced in the same court on September 4.
