Ed Beltrami, the head of the region's Crown Prosecution Service, played a central role in securing the conviction of the vicious sex offender, Alan Grant.

Grant, from Stockport, in Greater Manchester, was given three life sentences by the judge at Mold Crown Court in January last year after he admitted kidnap, rape and attempted rape of the teenager.

The teenager was snatched from the Highfield area of Wrexham and was threatened with a machete, tied up and driven to a secluded spot.

After raping her, Grant drove for another hour to the outskirts of Bangor before attempting to rape her again.

The terrified girl eventually managed to untie herself and escape to freedom.

Mr Beltrami spoke out as he took over as chairman of the North Wales Criminal Justice Board.

He said: "Grant's three life sentences were richly deserved. I don't think he'll be released from prison because he's such a dangerous offender. He would have to persuade someone that he is no longer a risk to the public and, given that he had a previous conviction for raping somebody else at gunpoint in their own home, I think he'd struggle to do that.

"I certainly wouldn't be comfortable with anyone like that on the streets because the chances are they might do it again. It wasn't a spur of the moment offence – it was premeditated and he deliberately targeted the girl. People who plan what they do are always the worst offenders.

"There is obviously something wrong with somebody who can commit an offence of this nature without any thought for the well-being or the effect it's having on the child."

The successful prosecution of Alan Grant was, says Mr Beltrami, a good example of the co-operation the Criminal Justice Board was set up to foster.

He added: "The advantage of the Criminal Justice Board is that the various criminal justice agencies come together and we look at common targets and issues. If you just concentrate on your own area within the criminal justice system, you can't make the progress you're hoping for.

"The idea is that we work together with the ultimate aim of protecting the public and reducing re-offending. That's the raison d'etre of the Criminal Justice Board.

"This year I am really hoping we can make good progress in making things better for witnesses and victims."