Gary Glitter: disgraced singer and convicted sex offender ordered to pay £500k to abuse victim

Paedophile popstar and convicted sex offender Gary Glitter has been told by a court that he must pay a victim he abused when she was 12 years old more than half a million pounds. In 2015, Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was convicted of abusing the woman and two others between 1975 and 1980. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison and was automatically released from HMP The Verne in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence. He was put back behind bars six weeks later after he breached his licence conditions by attempting to download inappropriate images of children.

The woman in question then sued Glitter, with the High Court ruling that he is now to pay her £508,000 in damages. The judge said in a 13-page ruling: “There is no doubt that the claimant was subject to sexual abuse of the most serious kind by the defendant when she was only 12 years old and that has had very significant adverse impact on the rest of her life.” The £508,000 figure was determined after the woman’s loss of earnings were calculated to be £381,000 along with £7,800 in future therapy and treatment. Interest was then added onto this figure.

At a hearing in March, the woman, who has not been identified for legal reasons, said that she has been left unable to work for several decades as a result of the abuse at the hands of Gadd. Her barrister, Jonathan Metzer, added that Gadd’s abuse had a “dramatic and terrible impact” on her life, including her education, work and personal relationships.

Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater & Gordon who acts for the woman in this case, said after the judgment: “In making this award, the court has properly acknowledged the appalling abuse suffered by my client. Whilst no amount of money can make up for horrific sexual abuse, the award at least goes some way to recognising the devastation inflicted on my client throughout her childhood and adult life.

“Gadd’s refusal to engage with the process merely proves his utter lack of remorse, something we will be reminding the parole board about if he makes another application for early release. We will be pursuing Gadd for payment and will continue to support our client through this process.”