A HUSBAND and wife from Swanscombe were jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years on Friday for what was described as "degrading and humiliating" child abuse.

Timothy Watson was sentenced to three years and Paula Watson was sentenced to two years and four months.

The couple were each jailed for a further month for fleeing to Zeebrugge in Belgium when they were due to stand trial last year.

They were extradited back to this country in January and have been held in custody since.

At their trial at Maidstone Crown Court in March Timothy Watson denied five charges of cruelty to a child while Paula Watson denied four charges.

The jury of seven women and five men convicted them of all charges after deliberating for less than an hour.

Sentencing them today Judge John MacDonald QC said: "The offences arose out of a dismal and appalling history of systematic cruelty to a child.

"This was systematic ill-treatment over a period of 33 months. The victim was a child whose vulnerability is deserving of a unique status and is deserving of the courts’ protection.

"This was degrading and humiliating treatment and she was threatened with and suffered severe punishment."

Adding that he had read their probation reports hoping to find some mitigating factors, Judge MacDonald said they had, in fact, made "depressing" reading.

"You have no insight into your offending and you show no remorse. You offered no plea of guilty and you even applied for a retrial which would have lead to the victim having to give evidence twice.

"These matters are so serious that only a custodial sentence, and a significant one, can be justified."

However, they will serve half their sentences, less time already spent on remand. Timothy Watson, therefore, is likely to be released after eleven and-a-half months, and Paula Watson after she has served seven-and-a-half months.

The court heard that the nine-year-old victim suffered physical abuse at the hands of the 35-year-old lorry driver and his 36-year-old wife.

Teachers noticed bruising on the little girl and police even spoke to the Watsons in November 2001.

Many incidents of abuse took place in front of witnesses. On one occasion Timothy Watson gave the little girl a "back-handed blow" which was so hard it caused her to stagger. One witness later described her back as being covered in "black, blue and green bruises".

Deborah Charles, prosecuting, said the case finally came to court after the girl’s school contacted social services in 2003.

Interviewed by police she said bruises on her wrist were caused by Paula Watson hitting her with a saucepan.

She had another bruise on her leg, which she said was caused by Timothy Watson.

"That is by no means the end of the story," said Miss Charles. "She said he hit her nearly all the time on the head, arm and leg in particular."

There was hitting between February 2001 and September 2003. Paula Watson would also hit her.

The girl, now aged 12, described how Paula Watson would would take her rings off first, so that she did not leave marks. Some times she would be hit with slippers.

The abuse also included included making the girl put soap in her mouth as a punishment, and forcing her to stand still and hitting her if she moved. Paula Watson would also hit the girl with what was described as the "naughty stick" to her lower back and tops of her legs.

Paula Watson would also throw shoes at the child.

The Watsons, of Craylands Square, were arrested in October 2003. Timothy Watson denied hitting the girl and claimed she had made it up.

When re-interviewed in April 2004, he claimed that he only hit the girl once, when he gave her a tap. Paula Watson denied hitting her at all.

Richard Livingston, for Timothy Watson, urged the court to keep the sentence as short a possible. He said they had already served seven months on remand, some of it while waiting to be extradited.

Orla Daly, defending Paula Watson, described her as "emotionally immature".

"She says she does wish she did things differently," Miss Daly added. "She accepts that she has put herself in this situation.

Both Watsons were disqualified from working with children for the rest of their lives.

After the hearing Det. Con. Spencer Albone said: "We are extremely pleased with the sentence and the case is an excellent example of inter agency work between the police and social services."