“You are probably one of the most evil defendants I have come across,” York’s top judge said as he jailed a paedophile for 28 years.

Keith Merville Phillips, now 64, abused five girls during two decades of sexual offending, York Crown Court heard.

The jury heard last month how one girl who was targeted by Phillips spoke out about what was happening to her, but she wasn't believed and was forced to write a retraction statement.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Phillips that after that: “You knew you had carte blanche. You had a clear way to do what you wanted knowing that no-one would believe her.”

Phillips had then carried out a long campaign of rape against the girl.

She told the judge: “There is far too much to put into words just how much this has impacted my life. He ruined my life as a child and continues to do so as an adult.”

Phillips then turned his attentions on a second young girl, repeatedly raping and abusing her, the judge said. At one stage, she had suffered an excruciating pain and other symptoms that she believes was a miscarriage.

Both told York Crown Court Phillips’ actions had driven them to take drugs and affected them psychologically for life.

The second victim said she had run up debts as a result and lost jobs and houses.

“I spent 20 years winding myself up, knowing what he had done to me,” she said. “There was never any doubt in my mind he was inflicting this on some other poor girl.” She said she knew she couldn’t stop him.

The jury heard that after the girls became adults, Phillips targeted three other girls.

One of the three told the court Phillips was a “monster” whose actions had made her turn to alcohol to try and blot out the memory of what he had done. “I know I have to confront them,” she said. “It is eating away at me.”

Phillips, 64, of Huntington and formerly of Selby, had denied five charges of rape, nine of indecent assault and one each of sexual assault of a girl under 13 and sexual activity with a child, but was convicted by a York jury.

He gave no reaction as he was jailed for 28 years plus an extra year on licence when he is released.

“You are probably one of the most evil defendants I have come across,” the judge told him. “You had no remorse at all and you are completely devoid of emotion to your victims.”

He said Phillips had deliberately targeted the first two girls and that he had continued his crimes when the other three came into contact with him.

For Phillips, Eleanor Fry said he had never been to prison before and had not offended since.