A man who subjected three young children to “prolonged sexual, physical and emotional abuse” has been jailed for over 20 years.

Following a three-week trial last month, Michael Norman, 34, from Scunthorpe, was found guilty of:

• Nine counts of cruelty to a person under 16

• Two counts of rape of a child under 13

• One count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration

• One count of grievous bodily harm with intent.

It took the jury just three hours to return verdicts.

Norman was handed a 28 year sentence, which includes a 23 year custodial sentence and a five year extended licence period.

Sentencing Norman yesterday (Wednesday, December 13), Judge Jeremy Richardson QC described him as a “cruel and depraved” man.

He said these children “were subjected to an avalanche of abuse”.

“The defendant does not harbour an insight and does not consider himself to be a danger to children.

“There has not been one iota of remorse from the defendant. I have reason to expect he will now wallow in self pity,” the judge said.

Judge Richardson described Norman’s behaviour as “sadistic” and said that no child should have to endure what they went through.

During the trial at Hull Crown Court, prosecutor John Thackray said the abuse came to light when one of the children was taken to hospital with a “catalogue of injuries”.

“That triggered an investigation,” Mr Thackray said.

“Very quickly it was apparent the child had a large number of injuries.”

These included a fracture of the right leg and the left wrist.

The prosecutor said the child also had cigarette burns to the bottom and bruises to his penis.

Norman said the burns were caused by the child sitting on burning cigarette ends.

He later admitted this was a lie, Mr Thackray said.

Mr Thackray said Norman also caused injuries to another child including dangling from height.

The court also heard he would call one of the children “gay” as an insult. The prosecutor said Norman also “punched and kicked” another child.

The victim impact statements of two children involved in the case were read out on Friday, December 8, ahead of his sentencing.

Prosecuting, Joanne Jenkins read out the victim impact statements.

One child said they were “worried about any males” they may meet in the future and were “scared of life in general”. They said that they had lost friends, had bad dreams, “couldn’t concentrate on anything and got into trouble at school” when they never used to before.

The child said they often questioned why Norman had done these things and said that as a result, they no longer trusted anyone and no longer went to sleepovers with friends due to the fear of having a panic attack.

The statement ended by saying: “I feel my time as a child has been taken away from me. My life is like a living nightmare.”

Another child said in their statement: “What he did feels like it is glued to my mind and it won’t go away,” they said.

The child added that they also could not concentrate at school and were scared of men.

“My life would have been happy without him,” the child said.