Victims who were sexually abused by a former Suffolk farm worker have told a court of the trauma inflicted on them.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Friday for sentencing via video link was Simon Harrington, 56, of North Court, Brandon.

Harrington had denied four offences of rape in relation to one alleged victim, two offences of sexual assault of a child relating to a second alleged victim and two offences of indecent assault, three offences of assault of a child by penetration and two offences of sexual activity with a child in relation to a third alleged victim.

He was unanimously found guilty of one offence of rape, one offence of assault of a child by penetration, one offence of sexual activity with a child and two offences of sexually assaulting a child.

He was also convicted of an offence of rape and an offence of indecent assault by majority verdicts.

Giving evidence during the trial, Harrington denied the allegations which date back to the 1990s.

One of the victims said in a statement to the court: “I was in shock and found it hard to believe it happened to me.

“He didn’t seem to care what he had done or how he had made me feel."

One of the rapes occurred shortly after the death of the victim’s father, and she said: “It’s hard to describe how the rape after my dad’s death affected me.

“I can’t think of my dad without having flashbacks. That rape coupled with my grief finally broke me. I stopped caring about myself.

She added: “I am constantly on the lookout for him. I don’t like anyone, especially men, standing too close to me in crowds.

“Sleep is hit and miss. Night terrors were a regular thing for a while.”

But she said: “The worst thing is how it affects me with my children and grandchildren. I don’t like being hugged or touched unless I have some kind of warning first.

“My grandson has picked up on this, so he won’t usually just hug me."

In mitigation the court heard prison life is particularly difficult for Harrington because of his health issues.

However, jailing Harrington for 16 years, Judge David Wilson told the defendant: “You have left a trail of devastation that is likely to last for a significant time.”