A 72-year-old former Suffolk man who sexually assaulted two schoolgirls two decades apart has been jailed for two years.

Sentencing Robert Roach, who lived in Haverhill, judge David Goodin told him: “You have shown no remorse that is worthy of the word and no acknowledgement that what you did was seriously wrong.”

Roach had asked one of the girls who was 14 at the time of the offence in 1980 for a cuddle and had then placed her hand on his groin, Ipswich Crown Court heard. Christopher Paxton, prosecuting, said the girl had not known how to deal with the situation and had run off.

Twenty years later in 2000 Roach asked a 12-year-old girl for a cuddle and had then touched her breast and acted inappropriately.

Roach, who now lives in Southminster, Essex, admitted two offences of indecently assaulting the girls and was jailed for two years and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order for five years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Sentencing him, Judge David Goodin described the offences as “isolated”.

He said Roach had denied the offences but had pleaded guilty on the day of his trial. He said offending of this nature was frightening for the victims and had a lasting impact on their lives.

Joanne Eley, for Roach, said the offence relating to the 14-year-old girl was not the most serious offence of its kind to come before the court.

She said Roach could not remember it taking place but did not say it didn’t take place. “He has pleaded guilty to the offence,” said Miss Eley.

She said the assault on the 12-year-old girl was more serious and Roach accepted what he did was “totally inappropriate”.