HUDDERSFIELD MAN MALCOLM LOCKWOOD SENTENCED FOR HORRIFIC KIDNAPPING AND RAPE ON SADDLEWORTH MOORS
In a disturbing case that shocked the local community, Malcolm Lockwood, a 55-year-old resident of Prospect Road in Longwood, Huddersfield, was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting a woman during a harrowing nine-hour ordeal on the remote Saddleworth moors.The incident unfolded between the night of May 2 and the early hours of May 3, 2019, and involved a series of violent and threatening acts that left the victim terrified for her life.
According to court proceedings, Lockwood had been lurking in the area prior to the attack, seemingly stalking the woman as she walked through woodland in Milnsbridge.
He then ambushed her, forcibly detaining her and subjecting her to repeated assaults over the course of nearly ten hours.
During this terrifying period, Lockwood made a chilling statement to his victim, warning her, “You do realise you are going to die today,” a phrase that underscored the severity of her predicament.
The defendant drove the woman in his vehicle to an isolated part of the Delph area on Saddleworth moors.
There, he raped her inside his car, an act that was part of a series of violent crimes committed during the ordeal.
Prosecutor Michael Smith told Leeds Crown Court that Lockwood had been waiting for or stalking the woman that day, following her after she was seen walking alone.
He recounted how Lockwood took her car keys and mobile phone, assaulted her repeatedly, and threatened to throw her into a canal, again warning her, “You do realise you are going to die today.” During the journey, Lockwood drove along the M62 motorway towards the moors, at one point threatening to throw her off Scammonden Bridge.
When they arrived at an isolated spot on the moors, Lockwood continued his assault and began making phone calls.
During one of these calls, the victim managed to shout for help, which led to a call to the police.
This intervention prompted a large-scale police response, including the deployment of a helicopter to assist in the manhunt.
Further details revealed that Lockwood forced the woman to touch herself, took explicit photographs of her, and also took pictures of himself abusing her.
He threatened to cut her with a Stanley knife, even retrieving a blade from his car’s trunk, although it was not present at the time.
The victim was described as being utterly petrified, believing she was going to die during the ordeal.
Regarding the location of the attack, Judge Rodney Jameson QC remarked that Lockwood’s confidence in allowing her to leave and relieve herself demonstrated his control over her, knowing she was entirely at his mercy.
The victim was eventually rescued around 1:30 a.m.
on May 3 when police forcibly entered the vehicle, ending her nightmare.
During the trial, Lockwood initially pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
However, in November, a jury found him guilty of multiple charges, including making threats to kill, kidnapping, three counts of rape, and additional assault charges.
Lockwood attempted to justify the incident as a ‘coincidental meeting’ in the woods, claiming he was on his way to visit a friend, but this was dismissed by the court.
It was also revealed that Lockwood has previous convictions for physically assaulting both women and men, indicating a pattern of violent behavior.
His defense argued that a lengthy prison sentence would significantly impact his two children and at least four grandchildren.
Nevertheless, the court sentenced him to an extended term of fourteen-and-a-half years in prison, with the requirement that he serve two-thirds of this sentence before being eligible for release on parole.
Additionally, he will serve a further eight years on license after his release.
Lockwood was also subjected to indefinite notification requirements, meaning he will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely.
An order was made to deprive him of the mobile phone containing the abusive images, ensuring he will never regain access to it or the photographs stored on it.
As the sentence was handed down, Lockwood looked at his victim, who was present in the courtroom’s public gallery and cannot be identified for legal reasons, as he was taken into custody and transported away to begin his sentence.
