A 91-year-old pensioner, Lewis Skelton, has been sentenced to four years in prison for horrific acts of child cruelty that occurred over 50 years ago.

Skelton pleaded guilty to three counts of child cruelty, with the incidents involving three girls in the 1970s and 1980s. The sentencing took place at Manchester Crown Court, where Judge John Potter described his actions as ‘nothing short of barbaric’.

During the proceedings, the judge remarked, “Bluntly, Mr Skelton, the truth is that you have escaped punishment for what you did over 50 years or so ago. But life has not been so easy for your victims, who through that period have had to live with the regular psychological torment of what you did to them.”

One victim, who bravely spoke in court, referred to Skelton as an 'evil monster' and insisted, “I feel he deserves to go to prison, regardless of how old he is. Please don’t give him a suspended sentence.”

In response, Judge Potter acknowledged her courage and emphasized that it was not her role to dictate the sentence. He stated, “I respect that immensely... I simply have to apply the law and impose the appropriate sentence.”

Skelton was interviewed by police in 2021 regarding the charges. His defense attorney, Bob Elias, argued against imprisonment, citing Skelton’s advanced age and frailty: “There would be absolutely no point sending a confused, frail old man into custody,” he claimed.

The judge accepted that incarceration would pose challenges for Skelton but stressed that the severity of his crimes necessitated a prison sentence. Judge Potter reiterated, “These three then children have had to live with the effects and memory of what you did to them throughout their adult lives. What you did to them when they were children was nothing short of barbaric, by any standards of measures.”