Paedophile William Farrell put little girl through 10 years of hell (From St Helens Star)

Paedophile William Farrell put little girl through 10 years of hell

4:26pm Friday 21st September 2012 in News By Stephen Mather at Liverpool Crown Court

FOR years William Farrell hid behind a mask of respectability as he subjected a little girl to almost a decade of sexual abuse.

However the 64-year-old’s sordid past caught up with him when he was sentenced to seven years in jail.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how he started abusing his victim in the 1980s when she was just six, continuing until she was about 16 years old.

The victim sat with her husband in the public gallery just yards from certain members of Farrell’s family, some of who still maintained their support for him.

The former retailer had been due to be sentenced on Monday (September 10), but was taken ill after collapsing in the dock, as reported in last week’s St Helens Star.

Four days later, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, he was brought back to Liverpool Crown Court, where he sat between two security guards, to hear the sickening list of charges against him.

Passing sentence, Judge Graham Morrow described the lasting impact on his victim: “She told no one about it for many years. She felt disgusted and ashamed and blamed herself. She was terrified about the impact it would have.

“In October 2009, she told close friends, but begged them not to tell anyone else. But (later) she broke down and said he had abused her.

“She said she had lost her childhood innocence and had been forced to grow up quickly. She felt like an outsider growing up.“She failed her exams and had problems at school. It caused her to feel lonely. She was scared, angry and upset and found it difficult to trust people, especially men.

“She didn’t want to get married and have children. Now she has a husband and young child and hopes through them, things will change for her by those who show her the true meaning of unconditional love.

“She always blamed herself for what happened and the court case unblocked horrible memories. She had flashbacks and bad dreams.”

Speaking directly to Farrell, he said: “You continue to deny committing the offences. Your family members remain supportive of you and your wife will provide a home and support on your release from prison.

“(The victim) will have to live with what you did to her for the rest of your life. You will have to live with what you did and the affect on your family.”

Farrell was disqualified from ever working with children and made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.