Man of 'no fixed abode' is jailed for rape and attack in Long Eaton

A man who followed a woman through Long Eaton before attempting to rape her has been jailed.

Paul Jinks stalked the woman as she walked home from a night out in in July 2024.  As she reached Darwin Road, he grabbed her from behind and put his hand over her mouth, telling her not to shout.

The woman attempted to break free and fight him but fell on the floor. Jinks then picked her up and dragged her backwards to a secluded grassy area where he hit her in the face and sexually assaulted her before attempting to rape her.

The woman’s cries for help were heard by the residents of a nearby house who yelled at Jinks to leave her alone and ran out on to the street to help.

Jinks then fled the scene, running through a nearby garden as he escaped. The homeowner called police after seeing him on their property. Officers attended the scene and found blood stains on a broken bin Jinks had climbed on as he ran away.

CCTV footage from the area showed Jinks had followed the woman for some time before the attack. He was also seen following at least two other women before the incident.

The blood was tested and found to belong to Paul Jinks, who was believed to be living in the Cambridgeshire area on a traveller’s encampment. Officers in Cambridgeshire were asked to help with arrest attempts and the 21-year-old was arrested on 24th July, ten days after the attack.

He was subsequently charged with attempted rape.

Jinks, of no fixed address, admitted the offence and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentence on 7th February when he was jailed for eight years and nine months with an extended licence period of six years. He was also placed 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 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, 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 this link.

You can report anonymously, without giving police officers your details. They won't judge you; but will treat you with respect, and will always put your health and wellbeing first.

Alternatively, you can contact them using the following methods:
* Facebook– send private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page
* Phone – call 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 https://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.