Woman who crippled cheating rapist lover spared jail Published duration 15 January 2019

image copyright Cavendish Press image caption Linda Shaw pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm

A woman who crippled her boyfriend in a hit-and-run crash after finding out he was a convicted rapist with a long-term lover has been spared jail.

Linda Shaw, 31, believed Barrington Sinclair was a bachelor after meeting him online, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

But she discovered he had a rape conviction and was living with his family just miles from her house.

Shaw admitted grievous bodily harm and was given a suspended sentence.

Judge Bernard Lever told her: "You were treated very badly by this man.

"I was going to send you immediately to prison but, just by a whisker, I am able to suspend this sentence because of the wholly exceptional circumstances."

"The facts of this case are wholly exceptional and there is wholly exceptional mitigation. I hope you can put these tragic circumstances behind you," he added.

Sinclair, 32, met Shaw on the Plenty of Fish dating site.

During their nine-month romance Sinclair admitted to having a conviction for rape, for which he had served a seven-year prison sentence, but did not tell Shaw about his other relationship, the court heard.

His other partner and two children were living in a house less than five miles from Shaw's home in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester.

Sinclair, a night porter at a market hall, was cycling to work at 01:50 GMT on 15 December 2017 when Shaw, who had been lying in wait outside his home, followed him in her Fiat Punto and ran him down.

Walks with limp

She screamed at him "look what you've made me do" before fleeing the scene, the court heard.

Sinclair suffered a fractured leg and was taken to hospital, and has had seven operations due to a number of complications and infections. He has since lost his job and now walks with a limp.

Rachel Shenton, defending, told the court Shaw "went to the house because she felt she was going mad and believed he was in a relationship with somebody else".

Shaw was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years.