A FORMER North Wales policeman turned insurance agent has been jailed for three years after he was convicted of twice sexually assaulting a young girl 20 years ago.

Antony Huws, 66, indulged in sex acts with the girl when she was aged about five and seven.

Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court yesterday, ruled the three-year sentence should be served consecutively to a seven-year sentence he is currently serving after being convicted of conspiracy in a £22 million mortgage fraud.

It was a Press photograph of Huws after his fraud conviction that led to the victim going to the police and identifying him as the man who abused her when she was young.

After the jury returned its verdict, it was revealed Huws had a previous conviction in similar circumstances when he indecently assaulted a boy. 

That was in 1996 when he was fined at Chester Crown Court after admitting the offence.

Judge Parry told Hughes, who was previously a policeman in the Flintshire and Wrexham areas, he had been convicted of wicked offences.

There had been an element of grooming, buying her presents and complimenting her on her appearance. But the most significant aggravating feature was her very young age at the time.

Judge Parry said there was a significant age difference and the victim was very vulnerable because of her young age.

In addition, Huws, who previously lived in Holywell but is now of Parc Tudor, Kinmel Bay, had a previous conviction for a similar offence.

Huws was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

He denied indecently assaulting the girl in the early and mid-1990s. 

Huws said he had never been to the girl’s home.

Huws told the court in that period he suffered from depression, took medication and did not have any sexual thoughts.

He did not know the complainant, her mother or her aunt who had given evidence and he said they did not know him. They had got the wrong man, he said.

Huws suggested the girl was after compensation after all the publicity about Jimmy Savile and other sex offenders.

He said she would have believed from the publicity about the £22m fraud he was a wealthy man, when in fact he was bankrupt.

Huws said if he had his work records he could have proved he was not at the victim’s house at the time alleged – but he said police had lost them as part of the fraud inquiry. At the end of his evidence he named another man he believed could have been responsible.

Myles Wilson, prosecuting, said while Huws had got that man’s name wrong, he was referring to a defendant in a Press cutting he had produced in court. 

The police had checked that matter out and found the person concerned could not have committed the offences. 

Mr Wilson accused Huws of trying to distract the jury at the last moment.

After the conviction, Philip Astbury, defending, said a lot of water had passed under the bridge since the offences occurred. 

Huws was in very poor health. He was on a considerable amount of medication, was already serving a long prison sentence and the court should consider ‘totality’.

The defendant was previously known as Anthony Hughes, nicknamed Tony the Baker. 

At the time of the fraud conviction he was known as Antony Lowry-Huws.

l AFTER the case DC Katie Ellis said: “This was a horrific crime. We are pleased with the three year sentence he has been given. 

“North Wales Police will support the victims of such crimes and bring offenders to justice.”