A 58-year-old man who said he had sexually assaulted a schoolgirl because he wasn’t getting sex from his wife has been jailed for 30 months.

Jailing Peter Wilkie, Judge Rupert Overbury described what he did as “appalling”.

He said that when the offence came to light Wilkie told his wife: “If I’m not getting it from you I’ll have to get it from somewhere else.”

“One can only hope that because she was so young time will heal and will erase the memory of that awful event,” said Judge Overbury.

He described Wilkie’s claim that the girl had an itch as “rubbish.”

He said that Wilkie had led a solitary life after neighbours and the community he lived in had found out about the offence.

Wilkie, of Meadow Road, Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child in August last year.

In addition to being jailed he was made the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order banning him from having any contact with girls under the age of 16.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

David Wilson, prosecuting, said Wilkie had touched the girl between the legs over her clothing.

He said that when he was challenged about what he’d done he claimed she had an itch.

Joanne Eley, for Wilkie, said her client accepted he had behaved badly and “wished a big hole in the ground would open and he could jump in it.”

“He regrets his actions and behaviour and wants to apologise.

“He doesn’t know why he did it and doesn’t know what he was thinking. He just can’t explain why he did it,” she added.

She said that since the offence he had felt uncomfortable going out in the local community and only went out to see his doctor or go to hospital and buy food.

“This is his doing and all of his making. It has had a devastating effect on his life,” added Miss Eley.