A sneering sex attacker - who mocked his terrified victim - has been jailed for 16 years for historic sex crimes.

Vile Thanet restaurateur Malcolm Curtis had laughed at his victim after forcing her to take part in a sick sex act.

The brave woman, standing in the witness box screened off from her attacker, told the judge: “My life is ruined. I have no life. I wish I was dead so I don’t have to live with the memories.”

The trial at Canterbury Crown Court heard how he forced the victim to wear a pair of frilly or silk underwear during the twisted attacks and then laughed at her distress.

The owner of The Bangkok Thai Restaurant in Cliftonville had denied the allegation but police searched his home and found a similar pair of undies.

The 60 year old – a former publican at Ramsgate’s Rising Sun - then told police that he wore them initially “as a prank” and later because he was incontinent.

But the jury rejected his account and convicted him on five sex charges

Judge Simon James told him that had he committed the crimes under present legislation he could have been jailed for life.

Former sheet metal worker Curtis, of Gilford Road, Deal, had denied the sex assaults in the 1980s claiming his victim had lied because he was impotent.

But when detectives challenged him by pointing out his Thai wife had become pregnant, Curtis then claimed it was done using “a spoon and a syringe”.

'I (now) consider myself a disgusting, ugly, useless and worthless human being' - victim

The courageous woman had asked to read out loud her dramatic account of how her life had been ruined by Curtis using her body to fulfil his disgusting fantasies.

After a pause of 15 seconds, she said: “I trust nobody and I mean nobody. I don’t like to be touched. I don’t like to be close to anybody. I prefer to be at home in as dark a room as I can possibly get.

"I (now) consider myself a disgusting, ugly, useless and worthless human being.

“I can’t sleep with having bad dreams.”

Prosecutor Simon Taylor told how Curtis carried out a series of assaults on the woman 30 years ago.

And the victim recalled to the jury at Canterbury Crown Court how Curtis later “went onto his hands and knees and begged forgiveness” for his sex assaults.

Curtis claimed he had been impotent since his first wife cheated on him.

“I was left impotent when my first wife left me. I think it was the psychological shock of the divorce," he told the jury.

He claimed the black pants found at his home had been bought by his wife on a shopping trip and he had tried them on “as a prank”.

Curtis said he became incontinent after drinking beer and had worn then “on a couple of occasions” after stuffing them with towels to prevent him wetting the bed.

After a series of sexless relationships, he told how he had gone to Thailand on holiday and met and later married his second wife, Sumai.

She told the jury that Curtis had told her: “Willy don’t work”.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "It's distressing to hear the effect Curtis's vile acts have had on his victim but with the right help and support she can rebuild her life.

"It took tremendous courage for her to speak up and by doing so it has resulted in Curtis being jailed.

"This case just goes to show it is never too late for victims to speak out about the abuse they have suffered."