FELIXSTOWE: A 64-year-old paedophile’s daughter today said she hoped he dies in prison after he was convicted of more than 20 sex assaults on a young girl.

John Allison was sentenced to 16 years in jail after an Ipswich Crown Court jury found him guilty of 21 offences.

After his conviction, one of his three children said Allison had effectively disowned his family, who lived in Portsmouth, after walking out more than 20 years ago.

Elizabeth Reilly, 40, Allison’s middle daughter, was appalled by her father’s crimes.

She said: “I’m absolutely disgusted. I hope he rots and dies in prison.

“I think it is sick and I’m glad justice has been done.

“I just look at my own daughter, his granddaughter – who is 12 years old, and I think he has ruined some other child’s life.

“I hope he stays in prison for all of the 16 years.

“He left our family home and did not want to know. Even when I had my children he did not want to know anything about them.”

Ipswich Crown Court heard how Allison had become obsessed with a schoolgirl and sexually abused her repeatedly.

Jailing the former army officer, Judge David Goodin described what he had done to the girl as “hideous”.

“It would be unimaginable abuse if we hadn’t heard it from the lips of the young girl you so cruelly abused,” said the judge.

Allison, of Felixstowe Caravan Park, Walton Road, Felixstowe, had denied 21 offences including six offences of rape, four offences of assault by penetration, nine offences of sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

He was convicted of all the offences unanimously by a jury after a nine-day trial.

In addition to jailing Allison for 16 years, of which he will serve half, Judge Goodin ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the rest of his life and made a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim and her family.

During the trial the court heard Allison had become obsessed with the girl and began having sex with her when she was 13 or 14. The girl said he had told her that she needn’t worry about becoming pregnant because he had a vasectomy.

Giving evidence from behind a screen, the girl described how on one occasion Allison had plied her with wine before having sex with her on a pool table.

The offences came to light after the girl confided in her boyfriend and the offences were reported. Giving evidence Allison described the allegations that he had sexually abused her as “ridiculous”.

During the trial the court heard that Allison had no previous convictions and had been a senior warrant officer in the army with 22 years’ exemplary service.