Man jailed for 11 years in Tamworth court for historical sexual relationship in Gunnedah in 1970s

The now 83-year-old cannot be named by order of the court, to protect the identity of the victim and her family.

He admitted to an allegation of being an adult who maintained an unlawful relationship with a child in the 1970s in Gunnedah.

In handing down her sentence in Tamworth District Court, Judge Deborah Payne jailed the man for 11 years and three months, with a minimum of seven years behind bars before he is eligible for parole.

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Judge Payne said she would have imposed a 12-and-a-half year sentence, but allowed for a 10 per cent discount for the early guilty plea before trial, as well as special circumstances.

The 83-year-old was jailed for his offending which was committed between 1972 and 1977 in Gunnedah.

The court heard a victim impact statement from the woman, detailing the effect the five years of offending had had on her life.

The then 81-year-old was arrested in July 2018 after an investigation by Oxley detectives.

He initially denied the allegations and was committed for trial in 2019, but six months later changed his pleas. He pleaded guilty in March last year.

The case went to a disputed facts hearing in the district court in June last year before Judge Payne delivered judgement, finding the offences were committed over a five-year period from 1972.

He's been in custody since July 2018, and his sentence was backdated to then.

After time served, he will be eligible for consideration to parole in July 2025.

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