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A 15-year-old girl managed to help ensnare a convicted murderer<\/a> who kidnapped and sexually assaulted her by pulling out strands of her own hair to leave crucial DNA<\/a> evidence.<\/p>\n Paul Sharpe, 56, was handed a second life sentence by a judge who labelled him “every parent\u2019s worst nightmare”. <\/p>\n Sharpe grabbed his victim<\/a> in a chokehold and bundled her into his vehicle in Altrincham, Greater Manchester<\/a>, during the early evening of 18 May, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard on Friday.<\/p>\n Terrified she would be raped and murdered, the teenager displayed “an astonishing presence of mind” by plucking out her hair to provide physical proof she had been inside the car.<\/p>\n The teenager was walking home when she entered the “cruel orbit” of Sharpe, who had “cruised the streets” searching for a young victim to abduct, the court heard.<\/p>\n She was held hostage inside his vehicle for eight and a half hours before police successfully rescued her the following day.<\/p>\n Sharpe, from Portswood in Stockport, was previously jailed for life in 2001 over the murder of a former partner whom he strangled in October 2000. <\/p>\n After serving a minimum term of 11 years, he had been released on licence in April 2013.<\/p>\n Months before the abduction, Sharpe used his mobile phone to record acts of apparent reconnaissance while he drove, said prosecutor Alaric Bassano.<\/p>\n In one such recording, a male voice declared \u201cthe abduction point would be here\u201d, the court heard, while Sharpe went on to search on his phone for locations of secondary schools.<\/p>\n Sharpe initially sought to \u201cfob off\u201d his teenage victim with a fictitious story that he had been asked to take her as her father owed someone money.<\/p>\n He asked her lots of questions about herself in an apparent attempt to calm her down, said Mr Bassano, and she obliged \u201cin the hope that by giving herself a personality the defendant would be less likely to harm her\u201d.<\/p>\n Mr Bassano said: \u201cIt was impressive reasoning for a young person in her circumstances but an early indication of the fear which she harboured.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharpe bound her wrists and ankles with neck ties as he drove to various secluded car parks.<\/p>\n He removed her socks and began touching and smelling her feet before he retrieved a pair of brand new high heel shoes from his boot and put them on her along with some stockings.<\/p>\n Sharpe also masturbated as he touched her feet.<\/p>\n The defendant made numerous attempts to force her to drink a \u201cyellowy liquid\u201d which she, at times, pretended to consume, the court was told.<\/p>\n Mr Bassano said: \u201cDuring her imprisonment (the victim) feared that she was going to die, a fear which prompted her to deliberately deposit her DNA in the car to assist police in any subsequent murder investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cShe placed her nasal mucus on various parts of the car interior as well as pulling out and leaving behind strands of her hair.\u201d<\/p>\n Police were first alerted when a dog walker reported hearing a young female crying in a church car park in Knutsford and an older male stating \u201ctake a drink\u201d.<\/p>\n The vehicle had gone by the time officers arrived but was later traced to a hotel car park in Knutsford, where the teenager emerged \u201cvisibly shaken\u201d and \u201cshocked\u201d, and Sharpe was arrested.<\/p>\n The defendant told detectives he had not planned the kidnap and was \u201coverwhelmed because he had no electricity at home\u201d, was on the verge of receiving a driving ban and had resigned from his job.<\/p>\n He added he wanted to talk to a stranger before he killed himself.<\/p>\n![\"Sharpe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2193896022...jpeg\")
Sharpe was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Months](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01M1PCWWWW435NA1FE25HAFNEV.jpg\")
Months before the abduction, Sharpe used his mobile phone to record acts of apparent reconnaissance while he drove (Greater Manchester Police)<\/p>\n