Kidnapper jailed for six years

A WARRINGTON man who tried to snatch three young girls in Lymm has been jailed for a minimum of six years at Chester Crown Court.
Christopher Frances Greenwood, 48 of Oak Road, Lymm was earlier found guilty by a jury of two offences of attempted kidnap, and one offence of kidnap.
The terrified schoolgirls were targeted by Greenwood, in June last year.
The court heard two friends aged 11 and 12 were walking along Bridgewater Street in Lymm, when Greenwood pulled up alongside them in his red BMW and tried to engage them in conversation.
He then parked his car and approached the girls on foot, trying to grab their attention and speak to them.
While talking to the girls, he made inappropriate sexual suggestions to them, before offering them a lift. He also tried to entice them into the car with offers of alcohol. The girls were becoming increasingly alarmed, and ran home to alert their families.
The very next day, a 14 year old girl was walking along Rushgreen Road, Lymm, on her way to see a friend. Greenwood was parked further along the road and appeared to be absorbed in a problem with his car. As his young victim walked past, Greenwood grabbed the girl and forced her into the car through the open door. The girl bravely put up a significant struggle, and tried to call 999 on her mobile, but was prevented from doing so by the man. Eventually she managed to break free and get out of the car, ran to a nearby house in a state of great distress and managed to raise the alarm.
The struggle between the man and the terrified teenage girl was witnessed by another 12 year old girl, who had the maturity and presence of mind to call 999. Extensive enquiries began to trace the man, and police offered safety advice to parents and schools.
As a result of police enquiries, coupled with the details provided by the victims and a 12 year old witness, Greenwood was later arrested. He was subsequently charged with two offences of attempted kidnap and one offence of kidnap.
He was subsequently found guilty.
The officer in the case, DC Mike Evans, said, “We welcome the sentence imposed by the courts. Greenwood displayed predatory behaviour, leaving his young, vulnerable victims terrified and fearful.
“My thanks and admiration go to the young victims and witnesses who gave evidence in this serious case, a particularly difficult and somewhat daunting experience for any child. Although attacks like this are extremely rare, we treat any such cases extremely seriously and do all we can to protect those at risk, by bringing to justice those who are responsible for committing offences involving the young or the vulnerable. The imprisonment of Christopher Greenwood means that a dangerous and threatening individual has been taken off our streets”