A JEHOVAH'S Witness who lured vulnerable young girls into his life before carrying out a series of sex attacks has been jailed for four years. Pensioner John Drury had denied the abuses, carried out in the early 1990s, but was found guilty on 13 out of 14 counts at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

A JEHOVAH'S Witness who lured vulnerable young girls into his life before carrying out a series of sex attacks has been jailed for four years.

Pensioner John Drury had denied the abuses, carried out in the early 1990s, but was found guilty on 13 out of 14 counts at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

The 80-year-old, who sat listening through a hearing loop, showed little emotion as the foreman of the jury returned the verdicts.

The former RAF man befriended the families of the girls, winning their trust, before inviting the youngsters to his six-bedroom luxury home in the Lexden area of Colchester where he allowed them to run wild before abusing them.

The trial had heard how Drury, of Cambridge Road, had attacked the girls as they played innocent children's games such as hide and seek.

The offences were committed between 1993 and 1996 on eight young girls.

Sentencing Drury, Judge David Turner QC, said the pensioner had lured the children and their families into a false sense of security with his friendly behaviour before attacking the youngsters.

He added: “Few if any children simply bounce back from the sort of abuses you have put these victims through.

“You have lied and lied in the course of this trial and shown no remorse or regret.”

He said he was sure Drury, who had no previous convictions, had in other ways lived a decent life.

However, he said: “There is, I feel, a dark side to your personality which has made you behave in a perverted way and that must be punished.”

Drury had denied 12 counts of indecent assault, but was convicted on 11 of them, and two of indecency with a child under 14 - both of which resulted in guilty verdicts.

He was sentenced to between 8 months and four years on each of the 13 guilty counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.

Judge Turner said told him he would have to serve at least half of the term before the possibility of parole and was placed on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Speaking afterwards, officer on the case Detective Constable Charles Cadwallader , said: “People should understand if they abuse children in Essex there will be no escape from justice - it might take weeks, it might take months, in this case it has taken 14 years and the man is now 80, approaching 81.

“I think it is fair to say the police will pursue these people until justice is seen to be done.”

DC Cadwallader, a member of Essex Police's child abuse investigation unit, also paid tribute to Drury's victims who braved court to give evidence against the paedophile.

He said: “It is fair to say some of the victims have been quite traumatised by the whole thing - it has affected their lives and relationships, but throughout the trial they have shown great poise and dignity.”