Shamed PR guru Max Clifford sentenced to eight years in prison

The judge stated that the 71-year-old publicist showed 'no remorse' for his actions.

15:48 02 May 2014

Max Clifford has been sentenced to eight years in jail for eight historic counts of indecent assault against young women and girls. 

 

Clifford will serve at least four years behind bars and will have to sign the sex offenders' register. 

 

Judge Anthony Leonard advised that if Clifford's offences happened today that he would likely have been given a life sentence. 

 

Just one of his assaults would have resulted in an eight year sentence today, but as the offences occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, the current law can not treat them with the same weight. 

 

If legislation had allowed, another sexual assault allegation involving a 12-year-old in Spain would have been allowed to have been charged too. 

 

Judge Leonard said: “These offences may have taken place a long time ago, when inappropriate and trivial sexual behaviour was more likely to be tolerated, but your offending was not trivial, but of a very serious nature.

 

"The reason why they were not brought to light sooner was because of your own dominant character and your position in the world of entertainment which meant that your victims thought that you were untouchable, something that I think you too believed.

 

"Although your charitable work has gone on for a long time after your offending stopped, I cannot ignore that for decades you were leading a double existence."

 

Nevertheless, before he entered the courtroom Clifford stated: "I stand by everything I have said in the last 17 months."

 

Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said: "The prosecution in this case has proved Max Clifford's guilt beyond reasonable doubt and the jury in this case decided that they were sure Max Clifford was guilty on eight of the 11 counts brought to court.

 

"He has rightly been held to account and sentenced today for his crimes.

 

"The prosecution was built with evidence demonstrating a pattern of behaviour where unconnected victims told of strikingly similar experiences over a number of years. I would like to thank all the victims for coming forward and giving evidence in difficult circumstances."