Shane Nash 40

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Police have released the mugshot of a man jailed for stalking and raping a teenage girl in Nottingham. Shane Nash, who was not known to the victim, admitted to carrying out the attack in Top Valley on January 29.

The 39-year-old stalked the victim after she had dropped a friend off at a bus stop. He followed her into an alleyway before dragging her into nearby bushes, tying up her hands and mouth.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said it had "changed my life forever", with a judge describing the rape as "one of the gravest offences that anyone could commit".

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, July 12, Nash, of Boniface Gardens, Bestwood, was given a life sentence, of which he will serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. He was also added to the sex offenders' register for life.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the girl said: "I was doing a nice thing walking her [her friend] to the bus stop. My life was TikTok videos, Snapchat and hanging out with friends. After he raped me my mind went blank, I couldn't believe what had happened, it didn't feel real. He threatened to kill me and I thought if I stayed still he wouldn't.

"I kept asking myself did that really happen? I couldn't process it in my head. When I'm on my own I get the feeling I'm not safe. I just want to be normal again. I have trouble sleeping sometimes and have bad dreams.

"When I can't sleep I replay what happened that evening. On the times I have been out I have the feeling that someone is behind me. My family have been amazing, they don't want me to go out because of what happened to me. I hope he never walks the streets again.

"I think why did he pick me? What did I do to make him do this to me? This is something I have to live through."

Detective Inspector Craig Hall, who led the investigation for Nottinghamshire Police, said it was a "horrific crime that shocked and appalled the local community". He said: "The victim in this case was simply walking home as she was grabbed and attacked.

“She is traumatised by what happened and this is likely to have a lasting impact upon her and her family. She has shown remarkable courage and dignity throughout the legal process and my thoughts are very much with her today.

“Nash’s behaviour, by contrast, has been appalling throughout. He has shown absolutely no remorse for what he did and continued to [initially] deny the offence even when presented with incontrovertible evidence of his guilt."

Matt Evans, from the Crown Prosecution Service, added: “Shane Nash subjected a young girl to a terrifying ordeal barely minutes from her home. The violent and merciless nature of the attack is reflected in today’s significant jail sentence.

“The survivor in this case has suffered severe trauma and has a long journey of recovery ahead of her.”