A former Narberth man found guilty of sex offences during the 1970s has been jailed for ten years.

David Howitt, 51, was convicted by a jury at Swansea crown court of carrying out a serious sexual assault on a nine year-old boy and other offences.

His brother Thomas Howitt, aged 54, was sentenced to nine months in jail after he was convicted of indecency with a child.

The offending took place when the men lived in Garfield Gardens.

The jury heard that at one point David Howitt put the barrel of an air rifle into his young victim’s mouth and told him not to tell anyone what he had done to him.

David Howitt, now of Old Farmers’ Court, Whitland, and Thomas Howitt, now of Wattstown in the Rhondda, were told by Judge Paul Thomas their offences had caused long term harm.

He said David Howitt’s offending appeared to have excited his brother who at one stage “joined in” with the depraved behaviour.

However, what Thomas Howitt had done was nothing like on the scale of his brother’s crimes David Howitt was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life, and banned from ever working with children.

Thomas Howitt was ordered to register for ten years and ordered not to work with children during that period.