June 2009

Sex attacks on five-year-old

A CONVICTED paedophile has been jailed for nine years for abusing a child when she was just five.

The victim, who is now a teenager, was so traumatised at what happened she was unable to speak about what Christopher Swanston had done.

She wrote down details of the abuse on a piece of paper to a relative, and police were informed in April.

The defendant, previously of Warsop, initially denied he had done anything wrong, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

“Later he said it was true and that he was sorry,” said Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting.

Swanston, 55, was drinking six to nine litres of cider a day as well as three bottles of Jack Daniels, the court was told,

He was jailed for three years in 1990 for three offences of indecent assault and one of gross indecency on a child.

Swanston pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault and eight of sexual assault.

Judge Jeremy Lea ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register.

He said: “These offences persisted over a significant period of time.

“They occurred when you had previous convictions for precisely similar sorts of offences.

“The impact on this girl is likely to be such that probably for the rest of her life she won’t be able to enjoy sexual relationships because of the psychological harm you have done to her. You have admitted what you have done.”

Sarah Munro, in mitigation, said: “He knows what he has done. He is resigned to the fact he is going to receive a custodial sentence.”