A ‘sadist’ has been jailed for 12 years for abusing a child decades ago.

Brian Clargo subjected his victim to torture-like abuse in Oxfordshire and Europe. She was made to strip her clothes and was beaten by the now 57-year-old, a court heard.

He played what was referred to in court as the ‘nipple cripple game’ with her and repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl.

In a victim personal statement summarised to Reading Crown Court by prosecutor Walton Hornsby, the now mum-of-four said the abuse had ‘overshadowed’ her life. She had suffered ‘severe’ post-traumatic stress since the ages of 12-13.

Mr Hornsby summarised: “She described frequent nightmares which, as I understand it, still occur, with her flashbacks to incidents that occurred when she was a little girl. She has described a form of paranoia about the possibility of the defendant getting into her bedroom.”

In May, Clargo was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and child cruelty, committed in both the UK and Europe. He was acquitted on other similar charges.

Sentencing, Recorder Stuart Trimmer QC derided the defendant’s abuse of his vulnerable victim as ‘dreadful behaviour’ committed over a matter of years.

The judge said: “It is said you weren’t sadistic and made bad decisions. I reject that and form the view you became just that; sadistic.

“Put very shortly, you wrecked her life. She may recover, but you did her enormous damage.”

Karlia Lykourgou, mitigating, said her client had suffered ‘tough love’ in his own childhood, which may have influenced his own behaviour.

The offences dated back more than two decades, he had not been in trouble since and had fully cooperated with the police, she added.

Following the sentencing, Recorder Trimmer praised the victim for the clarity of her evidence and for ‘seeing the process through to the end’. He also commended the officer in the case, DC Lucy McDonagh, for her ‘fair’ investigation in ‘very difficult circumstances’.

Clargo, of Mablethorpe, Lincs., will serve half his sentence before he is eligible for release. He will be on the sex offender’s register for life.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

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