A CWMBRAN man who sexually assaulted an underage girl on two occasions has been jailed for more than four years.

Donald Gordon, 57, of The Circle, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court having already pleaded guilty to the offences.

The court heard that the defendant sexually assaulted the teenager once in a house and then again in a car.

Jason Howells, prosecuting, said that Gordon had asked his victim “if she had liked it” after the first offence and told her that he was “giving her special attention” after the second assault.

Gordon was arrested in February of last year and the court heard that he told officers that he had “slipped back into” offending, having previously been convicted of having sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 in 1998.

“While en route to the station he told officers that ‘he was seeking help today and that he has lost family and friends now’”, said Mr Howells.

“He also said that he had ‘messed her life up’”.

Caroline Rees, defending, told the court that she was grateful that the victim had not been called forward to give a witness statement due to her client’s early guilty plea.

She said: “Experience shows that it’s terrifying prospect and his admission has saved her the additional trauma.

“He is remorseful and did think of her and how she shouldn’t be put through this trauma.”

She added: “[Gordon] is a broken man, he didn’t stop himself and he will carry this with him forever.”

Judge Michael Fitton QC told Gordon that his sexual assaults had damaged a young girl and had “ruined her life”.

He said: “You groomed her."

Referring to the second assault, Judge Fitton said: "That incident had a traumatic effect on this young girl.”

Judge Fitton sentenced Gordon to 40 months for the first offence and 16 months for the second while also placing him on the sex offenders register indefinitely and granting a sexual harm and prevention order for five years.