A Trimley man who had sex with a 14-year-old girl after showering her with gifts has been jailed.

James Stannard, of Station Road, Trimley St Martyn, admitted having penetrative sexual activity with a child, attempting to pervert the course of justice and child abduction.

Stannard, aged 43, was jailed for seven and a half years at Ipswich Crown Court last week, by Judge Martyn Levett who said he had deceived and targeted a vulnerable girl who had been bullied at school.

The court heard that Stannard had sex with the girls in a Premier Inn hotel room, while another teenager was present.

Stannard told the girl he wanted to marry her and showered her with expensive gifts including a mobile phone, designer clothes and trainers

Stannard was also was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for the same period and banned from contacting the victim and her family for 10 years.

The court was told the abduction charge related to Stannard continuing his relationship with the girl after being served with a child abduction notice and he had had attempted to pervert the course of justice in WhatsApp messages to the girl about what she should say to the police about their relationship.

In mitigation, the court was told Stannard had no previous convictions and had apologised to the family after admitting he had been deluded.