Carlisle man jailed after admitting rape of teenager 30 years ago

It happened in Cheltenham in April 1990

Published 17th Jan 2022
Last updated 18th Jan 2022

A Carlisle man has been sentenced to nine years in prison after admitting to raping a teenager in Cheltenham 30 years ago.

Paul Shakespeare, now 66 years old, was tracked down via DNA evidence in the summer of 2020.

He admitted attacking the 18-year-old whilst she was walking along the Honeybourne Line in April of 1990.

It became a cold-case until Gloucestershire Police restarted investigations back in 2007 and issued appeals for information.

The case then featured on an episode of Crimewatch back in 2008, but no one was charged at the time, despite a large number of calls following the appeal.

Shakespeare was eventually caught when a DNA sample, taken by police for an unrelated offence earlier this year, matched the profile of the attacker on the national database.

He will also appear on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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