Failsworth Stalker Jailed Over Attack

12 July 2012, 13:20 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A Failsworth man has been jailed for viciously attacking a woman he was obsessed with in her own home.

29 year old Conrad Lee Sebastian O'Donnell, of Oldham Road in Failsworth, also secretly recorded videos of the woman and even recorded himself performing sexual acts in her home.

He’s been jailed for nine and a half-years at Manchester Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to attempted kidnap, committing an offence with the intention of committing a sexual offence, two counts of voyeurism, two counts of public nuisance and making an indecent image at an earlier hearing.

O'Donnell made friends with the woman about four years ago and they swapped mobile phone numbers. However, he became obsessed with her and pestered her to start a relationship, she repeatedly said no.

On the 21st December last year, O'Donnell got into her flat in Manchester, pushed her over and then put a rolled up sock into her mouth. 

As the woman screamed and tried to fight him off, she was punched at least four times in the face, leaving her covered in blood. O'Donnell ran off and the police were called.

At about an hour later, O'Donnell himself called police and admitted attacking her.

When police searched the house, they found the sock and a set of keys to the flat that were freshly cut and did not belong to the woman.

O'Donnell's mobile phone was seized, and forensic analysis revealed a number of Internet searches he had carried out, including 'how to kidnap someone', 'strongest over the counter sedative', 'best way to gag someone', 'how to make a person forget' and 'chlrophenamine'.

His home was then searched and his laptop and memory sticks also seized and interrogated.

Officers found photographs of various financial and personal documents belonging to the woman, including pictures of herself and her family, and a large number of video clips of the woman which O'Donnell had got via secret recordings.

On his computer were also two video clips O'Donnell had taken of himself inside the woman's flat in which he was seen performing sexual acts.

Officers also discovered an indecent image on his computer.

Detective Constable Dave Berry, who led the investigation, said: "What is most important about today's conviction is that it gives the woman O'Donnell terrorised some sense of closure. I can tell you without hesitation that this woman has suffered enormously as a result of O'Donnell's actions and the emotional damage he has inflicted will sadly last a long time.

"I can only hope that seeing him convicted and imprisoned for such a long time will give this woman some feeling of justice as she rebuilds her life.

"O'Donnell was obsessed with this woman but took that obsession to extremes - violently assaulting her in her own home and secretly recording her for his own sexual gratification. The evidence we found was overwhelming and as a result, this man is now behind bars.