THE man convicted of the murder of Shirley Leach is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars, a court has heard, after he was jailed for the rape of an 11-year-old girl.

Serial sex offender Ian O’Callaghan forced the child into a back alley and attacked her in 2001.

The assault was an act of “revenge” after the girl had told her mother about an earlier incident in which the 51-year-old had exposed himself to her.

At the time he was still at large following the brutal murder of Bury pensioner Shirley Leach in toilets at Bury Interchange in 1994 — for which he is currently serving a 28-year sentence. 

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how, in 2001, O’Callaghan had been walking home from Bury Interchange where he worked as a bus driver when he realised he was being watched by an 11-year-old girl, peering from behind the curtains in her home. 

O’Callaghan, then aged 33, proceeded to expose himself and masturbate in front of the girl.

The victim then told her mother who in turn alerted O’Callaghan’s wife.

Addressing O’Callaghan, Judge John Potter said: “No doubt your wife confronted you about this and you became angry and determined for revenge on this 11-year-old child.

“Two weeks later you took your chance.”

After seeing his victim walking in the street O’Callaghan made his attack, grabbing hold of the girl and pushing her into a back alley.

There he threw her to the floor into a puddle of mud and raped her.

As he assaulted her he told her she was a “grass” and that if she ever told anyone about what had happened he would kill her.

O’Callaghan then smirked at his victim as he left the scene, leaving the girl “absolutely petrified” of what he had done, Judge Potter said.

“As she ran home she discovered that she had suffered injuries to her body, but was too scared to report what you had done to her for many years,” Judge Potter added.

“What you were doing to her was trying to control and humiliate your victim in revenge for telling her mother about the earlier incident of exposure.

“That effort to control her has come to nothing given the courage she has shown in giving evidence many years later.” 

Judge Potter continued to praise the victim’s bravery, having suffered “18 years in torment”, and in light of her having given evidence at two trials causing her to “relive the ordeal twice”.

However, Judge Potter noted that she had suffered “severe psychological harm” as a result of the attack, leading her to self harm and attempt to commit suicide several times later in her life.

After becoming a mother the victim finally reported her horrific ordeal to the police in 2016.

“She did so because she realised that year, as she tried to find closure for what you had done to to her, so she would be able to care for and support her own child,” Judge Potter said.

Before sentencing Judge Potter relayed a string of violent and sexual offences committed by O’Callaghan to the court.

In 1985 the offender was convicted of indecent assault after breaking into a woman’s home and attacking her the previous year.

During the incident, O’Callaghan had entered the woman’s bedroom and assaulted her while placing his hand over her mouth.

Eight years later, in 1992, he was convicted of common assault after following a woman through the town centre before punching her in the face.

Further, in 1994, O’Callaghan went on to expose himself and masturbate in front of a 13-year-old child from his bedroom window, just months after he murdered Shirley Leach.

The former territorial army soldier was then found guilty of the 2001 rape of his 11-year-old victim earlier this week following a retrial.    

Sentencing O’Callaghan to 15 years in prison and another on licence, Judge Potter described him as an offender “determined to demean, abuse and significantly harm women”, and noted he “may never be released from custody”. 

“You are a predatory offender who preys on vulnerable women to satisfy your own wicked and selfish desires,” he added.

“There is little mitigation and you have not shown a shred of remorse.”

O’Callaghan will also spend the rest of his life on the sex offenders register.

Finally, addressing the victim, Judge Potter said: “I hope this goes some in assisting you with closure. Good luck.”