Paedophile Brian Sturley sobs as judge jails him for 15 years

A PREDATORY paedophile broke down sobbing as he was given a 15-year jail term for sexually abusing six different victims.

Brian Leighton Sturley, 56, was found guilty of 22 counts at Swansea Crown Court.

His crimes, including seven counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual activity with a child, took place from 1986 to 2009.

Several of his victims packed the court to hear his sentence handed down.

During last month's trial prosecuting barrister James Jenkins said Sturley had an "extraordinary career" in abuse and he was a "sexual predator".

The greatest sentence, of 15 years, was imposed by Judge Christopher Vosper for an horrific attack on a 14-year-old.

The court heard he had forced her to perform a sex act on him, and when she had bit him he told her she would "pay". He then grabbed her by the hair, put his hand over her mouth and raped her.

In another of the attacks he plied his victim with alcohol before attacking her.

The judge said he had made her "incapable of resisting" before he raped her, while making her re-enact a pornographic film.

In another attack he got his 13-year-old victim to sit on his lap before raping her. Sturley, a former coach driver, had also made a victim, aged eight, perform a sex act on him.

The judge said Sturley, of Robert Street, Manselton, had shown "no sympathy or empathy" to his victims.

"You knew what you were doing and simply did not care. You put pressure on your victims by the force of your personality and by threats of what would happen if they told anyone," he added.

The crimes only came to light in 2011 after one of his victims came forward to police in 2011. Then, the judge said, "the floodgates opened". One later victim said she had suffered for more than 20 years since she had been abused by Sturley.

The judge said: "Your victims for the most part, kept these matters to themselves. Some mentioned some of the things you had done to them to friends or family, some were disbelieved, some covered it all up."

Sturley had claimed his victims had made up their claims to get compensation.

Ian Wright, representing Sturley, said his client continued to suffer side effects from a stroke and meningitis. He also suffered from diabetes, arthritis and asthma, said Mr Wright.

"It means any period of imprisonment will be all the more onerous as a result of his conditions and symptoms," said Mr Wright.

He said Sturley's 30-year marriage was also "in jeopardy" because of his convictions.

Sturley started crying as the judge detailed his crimes, at one point shaking his head.

He continued to cry throughout most of the hearing — at one point rocking backwards and forwards as he held his temples.

He rarely, if ever, lifted his head up.

The judge imposed concurrent terms for each of the 22 charges.

He imposed two, concurrent 15-year sentences for two counts of rape.

Sturley also received a term of 11 years and three months for five further counts of rape.

For six counts of indecent assault, a sentence of three years was added and another three year term was imposed for seven charges of indecent assault on a child.

The shortest term for of one year, imposed for indecency with a child.

For a count of sexual assault, another three years was added and for a count of assault by penetration, he was given a 10 year term.

All those will run concurrently with the 15-year term.

He was told he will never be allowed to work with children after his release.