Macclesfield man jailed for kidnap and rape

A 27-year-old Macclesfield man has been jailed for 15 years, and given an extended five years on licence, after kidnapping and raping an underage girl.

Gerome Kendall convinced the teenage victim to get into his car and drove into the countryside near Marton where he twice raped the victim.

He then drove into a Wythenshaw petrol station where he sexually assaulted her.

Prior to the assaults he threatened the victim with violence, made her delete her social media accounts so that no-one could contact her, told the victim that she was his girlfriend and instructed her to give a different name and claim to be 18 if anyone asks her age.

Kendall crashing his car in Wythenshaw led to the victim being rescued and returned to her family. Kendall then drove back to Macclesfield, where Police officers waiting for him blocked the road. Attempting to flee, Kendall then crashed into an unmarked police car before being arrested, breathalysed – found to be nearly two times over the limit – and taken into custody.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of raping a girl aged between 13 and 15, two count of sexually assaulting her, one count of kidnap, dangerous driving, drink driving and driving without a licence and insurance.

He admitted the driving offences but pleaded not guilty to the kidnap and sexual offences.

Following a four-day trial, Kendall was found guilty of those offences and returned to court to be sentenced on 13 May.

On top of the 15-year custodial sentence, Kendall was ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register for life and to comply with the terms of a sexual harm prevention order. He will not be eligible for parole for at least 10 years.

Detective Constable Paula Smallman, who led the investigation at Cheshire Constabulary’s Child Protection Unit, said: “When Gerome Kendall convinced the victim to get into a car on the morning of Saturday 4 July, she had no idea that he had a sexual motive.”

To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101.

Information can also be passed anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.