An 88-year-old Wirral man who admitted historic sex offences involving three young girls was jailed for five years today.

White haired Kenneth Glazebrook shook his head in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as he was sentenced.

Jailing the frail pensioner, who has an earlier conviction for indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl, Judge David Aubrey, QC, said, “Your dark, dark secrets have finally caught up with you.

“Your predatory and paedophilic instincts remained with you for many a decade.

"You took away their innocence and scarred each of your victims emotionally and psychologically for the rest of their lives.”

He told Glazebrook, of Devereaux Drive, Wallasey, that he had read moving impact statements from his victims and only an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.

“Your conduct was abhorrent. You have by your sexual conduct and predatory instincts affected greatly the lives of your victims.”

Glazebrook, who uses a mobility scooter and has various medical problems, pleaded guilty to five offences of indecent assault on the three girls and six others were ordered to lie on the file.

The court heard that he indecently assaulting one girl when she was 12 and the other offences involved a course of conduct against one girl when she was aged between eight and 14 and against the third child when she was aged between ten and 16.

Michael Scholes, prosecuting, said after two of the victims came forward in 2014 and told police about his sexually abusive behaviour while they were living in Wirral the third victim, who lived in Croxteth, read about it in a local newspaper and also spoke to the police about what he had done to her when she was 12.

He read victim impact statements from the victims who all spoke about how badly they had been affected by the offences including how their own adult sex lives had been harmed along with their self-confidence.

One told how depression led her to alcohol abuse and broken relationships and another said, “these incidents will stay with me for the rest of my life."

The third victim said she remembered his heavy breathing and if she hears heavy breathing while in situations such as queues she panics and has to leave.

The court heard that the charges spanned between March 1972 to March 1994.

The offences laid on file which he denied involved four similar offences against the three girls and two further indecent assault offences against a young woman between 1977 and December 1993.

Sarah Holt, defending, said there were many positive aspects to his character and he has served his country and worked hard.

She said he was frail and prone to falling over and she urged the judge to be merciful.