Owen Evers 61

Description

A perverted serial sex offender who raped and abused a young girl, causing her to suffer a "complete nightmare" that left her "world turned upside down", has been jailed for 18 years.

Former bus driver and chef Owen Evers put the victim through a "deeply disturbing" ordeal that left her feeling "haunted" and fearing that the misery she suffered at his hands was "carved" into her and would be "almost impossible to eradicate" from her life, Hull Crown Court heard.

Evers, 61, of Rushworth Close, Bransholme, denied 12 sexual offences, including two offences of rape, six offences of sexual activity with a child and four offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but he was convicted by a jury of all of them after deliberations of 11 hours and 19 minutes, spanning three days.

Ten of the verdicts were on a majority of 11 to one and the other two were by a majority of 10 to two. Evers had been on bail during the trial but, after the verdicts, he was remanded in custody on Thursday last week for six days to await sentence.

The girl said in a statement: "I am so sad to be in this position at all. My world turned upside down. What had been happening to me was so wrong."

She said that the "memories haunted me" and she added: "I continued to have nightmares about the sexual abuse that I suffered. It makes me feel sick. No matter how hard I try, such memories are almost impossible to eradicate."

Everyday things had become "tainted" for her. "I work hard to try to suppress the memories," she said. "I am scared his influence has been carved into me.

"He took my innocence. What he did became intolerable. It's been a complete nightmare. I am determined that my life, going forward, will not be determined by this."

Andrew Petterson, prosecuting, said that Evers took steps to try to prevent the girl from reporting the offences to the police and from supporting the prosecution. "The victim was particularly vulnerable," said Mr Petterson. "She was a child."

Dale Brook, mitigating, said: "The defendant has been convicted of the most serious offences and he is going to receive a very lengthy prison sentence."

The victim was "to a degree vulnerable" and the rapes were "serious, grave offences". Evers had no previous convictions.

Judge Alexander Menary said there was "a litany of sexual offending" and Evers had "taken advantage of" the girl to commit "insidious" offences. "She was an utterly truthful witness," said Judge Menary. "She was unable to cope with the burden of her existence."

The offences were "deeply disturbing" in their nature.

"The victim personal statement makes for heartbreaking reading," said Judge Menary. "There was, here, severe psychological harm. She was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances."

Evers was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he must register as a sex offender for life. As he left the dock to be taken down to the cells, he grinned and waved to a male supporter in the public gallery before making a phone gesture.