Linda Shaw (pictured) arriving at court crippled her boyfriend in a hit and run crash

A woman who crippled her boyfriend in a hit-and-run road crash when she found out he was a convicted rapist has been spared jail.

Mother of one Linda Shaw, from Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, discovered Barrington Sinclair, whom she met on dating site Plenty of Fish, also had a long term lover and two children.

During their nine month romance the 31 year old initially believed Sinclair was an eligible bachelor after he gave her a false name and insisted he was single.

But she eventually learnt his real name and discovered he had served a seven year prison stretch for raping a woman in an alleyway following a New Years Eve party.

Sinclair, 32, a night porter at a market hall, was cycling to work at 1.50am when Shaw who had been lying in wait outside his home followed him in her Fiat Punto - then ran him down with the vehicle when he stopped in the street.

As he lay injured in the road with a fractured leg, Shaw screamed at him: 'look what you've made me do' before fleeing the scene.

Sinclair, of Droyslden was taken to hospital and since had to undergo seven operations on his leg because of a number of complications and infections. He has since lost his job and now walks with a limp.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Shaw admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm but sobbed as she walked free with a 12 month jail term suspended for two years.

The judge accepted she had been 'treated very badly' by him. She was also banned from contacting Sinclair under the terms of a restraining order.

Sentencing, Judge Bernard Lever told Shaw: 'The complainant gave you a false name and didn't tell you he was in a relationship with another woman and had a couple of children by her.

'The relationship developed and he knew how sensitive and vulnerable you were - yet you were treated very badly by this man. You took it upon yourself to drive several miles and see if he emerged from this woman's house - and he did.

Mother of one Linda Shaw (right) discovered Barrington Sinclair (left) who she met on dating site Plenty of Fish, also had a long term lover and two children

'You were very distressed and there was a conversation between you and him.. Not deliberately or intentionally, but recklessly, you drove your motor car over his leg and caused a severe fracture. You drove away and left him on the floor.

'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.'

The court heard the assault occurred on December 15 2017 after Shaw had met Sinclair through online dating following which she confided about her personal problems and the abuse she suffered in her childhood which left her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

He later admitted having a conviction for rape but failed to tell Shaw about his 'other' woman and family. He lived with them less than five miles from her home.

Prosecutor Brian Berlyne said: 'He gave the defendant a false name and pretended he was not in a relationship. In fact he actually had a long term partner and was living with her and their children.

'On the day of the incident he left his home and was cycling to work when he saw her in her car and was following him. She was shouting at him saying that she had been following him and had seen him come out of her house.

'Mr Sinclair stopped his bicycle but Miss Shaw drove her car into him and his bicycle. This caused a fracture to the leg and has left him with long lasting injuries. He stated that she drove forward into collision with him at a speed of about 5mph.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Shaw admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm but sobbed as she walked free with a 12 month jail term suspended for two years

'There was significant damage to the bike. The impact clearly was between the front of the vehicle and the back wheel of the bicycle. The crowns case is that she was angry towards Mr Sinclair and drove towards him recklessly.

'She got out of the vehicle and told him 'look what you have made me do'. She drove away from the scene and left Mr Sinclair injured at the road side. A member of the public came to the scene and called an ambulance.

'He was very seriously injured, she did not know about the complications. He sustained a close midshaft fracture of the right tibia. He required surgery and needed a nail in his leg.

'He suffered with complications after the surgery and required further intervention three days after the incident. Two weeks later, medical staff were concerned that his leg had become infected.

'He required three further operations to remove the infections. He has required long term antibiotics, he was reviewed by a doctor in July this year and the medical prognosis is that there will be long term complications. He is likely to have ongoing pain.

'The complainant has convictions for rape which came out. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2010. He has nine previous convictions altogether.'

In a statement Sinclair said: 'The past year has been awful, I've had seven operations on my leg. I'm in agony with it. I have to take a lot of different medications and painkillers. I will never be able to ride a bicycle again.

'This is life changing and will affect me forever. I cannot work and lost my job as a porter at a local market. I have difficulty sleeping and difficulty getting comfortable. I walk with a limp and have to use crutches if I'm walking a long distance.'

In mitigation defence lawyer Rachel Shenton said: 'There is an extraordinary back story to all of this. She formed a relationship with a man who is wholly dishonest and she finds out later in the relationship he is a convicted rapist.

' He continues to lie to her and and did not tell her was in fact in a relationship with children. She went to the house because she felt she was going mad and believed he was in a relationship with somebody else and went to see with her own eyes.

'He was cycling around her vehicle and was goading her whilst she was in a state of distress. In many ways it was a perfect storm. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time and a psychologist and the author of the pre-sentence report used the word 'catastrophic' when considering whether a custodial sentence would be appropriate.

'A custodial sentence would result in severe deterioration of her mental health. A month after this incident, the complainant was begging this defendant to resume a relationship with him and he was saying how sorry he was for what he has done to her.'

Sinclair was jailed at Manchester Crown Court in December 2010 after he raped a 25-year old woman just minutes after he was ejected from a New Years Eve bash during a row with his partner who caught him making a pass at another girl.

The victim who was walking home from a pub was dragged around the back of a bakery where she was sexually assaulted on the floor. Afterwards Sinclair went back to see his unsuspecting girlfriend and the pair rekindled their relationship.

He had claimed the sex with the victim was consensual, but was convicted of rape with the trial judge ruling he was a man 'with a considerable sexual appetite.'