Paul Jinks, the Long Eaton Rapist, who stalked a woman in Long Eaton prior to attempting to sexually assault her has been sentenced to imprisonment.
Paul Jinks pursued the woman as she returned home from an evening outing in July 2024.
Upon arriving to Darwin Road, he seized her from behind and covered her mouth, instructing her to remain silent.
The woman endeavoured to escape and confront him but collapsed onto the floor. Paul Jinks thereafter lifted her and pulled her to a deserted grassy location, where he struck her in the face and sexually attacked her prior to attempting rape.
The woman’s pleas for assistance were heard by surrounding locals, who shouted at Paul Jinks to desist and rushed into the street to offer aid.
Paul Jinks thereafter absconded from the location, traversing an adjacent garden during his getaway. The homeowner contacted law enforcement upon observing him on their premises. Officers arrived at the location and discovered bloodstains on a damaged bin that Jinks had ascended while fleeing.
CCTV footage from the area showed Paul Jinks had followed the woman for some time before the attack. He was observed trailing at least two additional women prior to the event.
The blood was analysed and identified as belonging to Paul Jinks, who was thought to reside in a traveller’s encampment in the Cambridgeshire region. Cambridgeshire officers were requested to assist with arrest efforts, resulting in the apprehension of a 21-year-old on 24 July, ten days post-attack.
Paul Jinks was later charged with attempted rape.
Paul Jinks, who has no permanent residence, confessed to the crime and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on 7 February, receiving a prison term of eight years and nine months, along with an extended licence period of six years. He was additionally registered on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
In a victim impact statement, the woman described the effect the incident has had on her: “Since this has happened I don’t feel like I will ever be able to go out on my own again, at least not anytime soon.
“I feel like I would be terrified doing this and constantly looking behind my shoulder wondering who may appear behind me.
“I have heard about these things happening but I never thought that this would happen to me.”
Detective Constable Esther Hodson, who led the investigation, said: “This was a truly horrifying incident where Paul Jinks saw this woman, followed her and waited for his moment to attack her.
“She bravely tried to fight him off and thankfully when her screams were heard by people living nearby, Paul Jinks was stopped in the act and fled the area.
“He is clearly a very dangerous individual who poses a real threat to women so I’m glad that he is now off the streets and behind bars.
“I’d like to praise the woman’s incredible strength and courage throughout this case. The description and evidence she provided helped us to quickly identify Jinks and then get him locked up and she has shown exemplary bravery since this awful night.
“In addition, I’d like to thank the local community for their help with this investigation as well as the members of the public who intervened and helped on the night.
“We received huge amounts of CCTV from businesses and homeowners in the days following this incident, all of which have been crucial in helping us to build the case against Jinks and making sure he is sent to prison where he belongs.”
There is a Rape and Sexual Assault reporting tool to our website. Here you can report something that’s happened to you, or to someone else. To access it visit: https://www.derbyshire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
You can report anonymously, without giving us your details. We won’t judge you; we’ll treat you with respect, and we’ll always put your health and wellbeing first.
Alternatively, you can contact us using the following methods:
- Facebook– send us private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
- Phone – call us on 101
If you have been affected by a similar crime, whether recent or non-recent, and would like some support you can contact SV2 – a Derbyshire based organisation who support victims of sexual violence.
You can contact them online www.sv2.org.uk or via their advice line 01773 746 115 (open 8am – 5pm) regardless of whether you wish to report an incident to police.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.