On Friday, 7 June 2024, Shane Liptrot, a 26-year-old man from Ashton-in-Makerfield, committed a terrifying stranger rape in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Liptrot repeatedly banged on the victim's door before producing a knife, making inappropriate comments, and forcing his way inside despite her desperate attempts to stop him. Once inside the property, he raped the victim and assaulted her by penetration. After the horrific ordeal, Liptrot refused to leave until she provided her phone number; out of fear, she initially gave a false number, but when he discovered the deception, she was forced to give her real one. He even called her while still inside the property to verify its accuracy.
The assault shattered the victim's life. She had been working hard to rebuild after escaping a domestically violent relationship, focusing on stabilising her mental health to care for her children, with a final custody hearing just weeks away. However, the rape negatively impacted her social worker's assessment, and the judge noted it could cause future mental decline. Forced to surrender her tenancy, she lost her home, possessions, and ultimately her children, plunging her into paranoia, anxiety, and constant fear. She has been unable to sleep alone in a house or building since the attack, stripping away her independence, confidence, and sense of normality.
Police received a call soon after the incident, and within hours, Greater Manchester Police arrested Liptrot, who has remained in custody since. Following a thorough investigation led by Detective Constable Harris, Liptrot was convicted on 12 December 2024 at Manchester Crown Court of knowingly trespassing on premises with intent to commit a sexual offence, rape, assault by penetration, and possession of a bladed article in a public space. On 23 January 2025, he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment.
The victim bravely addressed the court, stating: "Before Shane Liptrot committed this horrific crime against me, I had worked hard to rebuild my life after leaving a domestically violent relationship. I had focused on stabilising my mental health so I could care for my children, and I was less than a month away from my final hearing. When I informed my social worker about the rape, my assessment was immediately affected negatively... This crime took my children, my home, my safety, and my sense of self." Detective Constable Harris commended the victim's courage, saying: "Reporting an offence of this nature is incredibly difficult, and it is through her bravery that a very dangerous man is now behind bars... We take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue perpetrators." This case, reported by the St Helens Star and investigated by Greater Manchester Police, underscores the profound trauma of such stranger attacks and the justice system's response.