'He stole so much from me' - Pensioner jailed for historic sex offences against girl

Ronald Short, 82, of St Leonards Avenue, must also serve an extended licence period of 12 months after he was convicted following a trial at Lincoln Crown Court. The offences included rape and sexual assault.

An impact statement from the victim, who can not be named to protect her anonymity, was read out by her from the witness box. "He stole so much from me," the victim explained. "I regularly relive the trauma of what Ronald Short did to me." "Since I reported Ronald Short to the police I have suffered anxiety, panic attacks and flashbacks of what happened to me." The victim added that Short had put her through the trauma of giving evidence in court. Karen Walton, mitigating, stressed that Short, who had no previous convictions, was now 82 and faced spending the rest of his life in jail. Passing sentence Judge Simon Hirst said the jail term passed on Short "may very well be a life sentence." But Judge Hirst said on Friday (December 5) it was clear the victim had suffered post traumatic stress and was forced to relive what happened in a public arena. "It was open to admit your conduct at an early stage," Judge Hirst told Short. Short was told he would also have to notify as a sex offender for the rest of his life.