Haverfordwest businessman Kenneth Waters has been jailed this afternoon (Friday) for eight years for a series of sexual assaults on a young girl.

Waters, of Fishguard Road, sobbed in the dock at Swansea crown court as Judge Paul Thomas told him he had taken "every opportunity" to abuse her and then blackened her name by calling her a liar.

The court heard that it was "likely" that Waters' Home Electronics store in Snowdrop Lane would not survive and three part time workers would lose their jobs.

Waters, 72 this week, had been convicted of seven offences of sexual assault on an underage girl following two trials.  He had denied all the offences.

His barrister, Nigel Fryer, said Waters' business was now "perilously close" to collapse.

Before Judge Thomas announced the sentence the court heard in a victim impact statement that the girl said she still suffered the effects of the abuse more than 10 years later.

Judge Thomas said Waters had had the nerve to describe the girl as "sick" when when most people would believe that applied to him.

"You tried to blacken her name to save your own skin. And you have not shown one iota of remorse," added the judge.

Judge Thomas said he accepted that the sentence would affect Waters' business but said he had enjoyed a standing in the town that had been undeserved. 

Waters was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The juries had heard how, years after the abuse, the girl recorded a telephone conversation with Waters in which he apologised for what he had done.

Waters said the girl had tried to blackmail him by threatening to make false allegations against him unless he gave her "huge amounts of money."