Glitter faces life behind bars for sex abuse of young girls

Glam rock star was an ‘habitual sexual predator’ and could face further charges

Former glam rock singer Gary Glitter is facing life behind bars after being found guilty of a string of historic sexual abuse offences against three young girls.

And the “habitual sexual predator” could face further charges.

In 2012, Glitter — real name Paul Gadd — became the first person to be arrested as part of the Operation Yewtree investigation launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Yesterday, 70-year-old Glitter was convicted at Southwark Crown Court in London of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 — an offence which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He was cleared of two counts of indecent assault and one count of administering a drug in order to facilitate sexual intercourse.

He had made a last-ditch attempt to avoid facing trial. It can now be reported that lawyers for the 70-year-old made an application on the day the trial was due to start to halt proceedings because he claimed he would not get a fair hearing after decades of adverse publicity. But Judge Alistair McCreath ruled that the trial should go ahead.

Speaking outside court after the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Mick Orchard from Operation Yewtree said: “Paul Gadd has shown himself to be a habitual sexual predator who took advantage of the star status afforded to him by targeting young girls who trusted him and were in awe of his fame.

“His lack of remorse and defence that the victims were lying makes his crimes all the more indefensible.”

Mr Orchard continued: “Paul Gadd was the first individual arrested under Operation Yewtree. This goes to highlight the complexities involved in dealing with offences of this nature and our determination to pursue all lines of inquiry, and wherever possible present these cases before the courts.”

When asked whether any other complainants had come forward during the course of the trial, a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: “Officers have received other information and it is currently being assessed.”

Glitter was at the height of his fame when he preyed on the youngsters, who thought nobody would believe their word over that of a celebrity.

He attacked two girls, aged 12 and 13, after inviting them backstage to his dressing room and isolating them from their mothers.

The 70-year-old’s youngest victim was less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.

During the trial, all three of Glitter’s victims sobbed as they recounted their ordeals.

One woman, now in her 50s, described how she had attended a party at a house on the night she was attacked in 1975.

She remembered Glitter smelling of “booze and cigarettes” and putting his arm over her, making her feel “uncomfortable”.

The victim said she did not try to push him away because she did not want to be rude.

Some years later, the woman warned a friend to steer clear of Glitter because he was “dangerous”.

Glitter’s second victim was 12 years old when he attacked her after a spring 1977 show at Leicester nightclub Baileys.

She initially went backstage with her mother and had a gold jacket autographed while drinking Moet champagne, but was then invited to the singer’s Holiday Inn hotel suite.

Once back in the room, star songwriter, producer and Glitter’s manager Mike Leander led the girl’s mother away, while Glitter took her by the hand into a bedroom where he told her comic Spike Milligan had a gun and was after Glitter for sleeping with his wife.

The girl tried to push the naked singer away, but as she lifted her hands, he shouted at her not to touch his hair, telling her he had a “phobia”.

He then pushed her on to the bed and subjected her to a prolonged period of sexual abuse.

The following morning he told the youngster: “You are a really clever girl, you got dressed before your mum came in.”

Two indecent assault charges related to a third girl, who was aged 13 when the singer invited her to sit on his lap in his dressing room between October 1979 and December 1980.

Wearing a silver sequinned jumpsuit unzipped to the navel, and silver platform boots, he forcefully kissed the youngster and then slid his hand up her skirt.

She had been taken backstage to meet her “idol” as a surprise arranged by her mother’s partner, but after the attack in a club called Baileys in Watford, Glitter told the youngster it was their “secret”.

Glitter, from Marylebone, central London, denied all the allegations.

He claimed there was no way he could have abused the girls in his dressing room because his rigorous wig-maintenance routine required him to return to his suite immediately and clean his hairpiece.

He will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on February 27.