BY FLORA LYIMO ~BREAKING NEWS...MAX CLIFFORD HAS BEEN JAILED FOR EIGHT YEARS''MBUTA NANGA''MBONA KIDOGOOO!!

have carried out the abuse or when. 

Clifford (pictured outside court) repeatedly shook his head as the judge made his comments to a packed courtroom''

Disgraed PR guru Max Clifford has been jailed for eight years at Southwark Crown Court today for a string of indecent assaults on four women''

Disgraced PR guru Max Clifford has been jailed for eight years for a string of indecent assaults on three women and a 15-year-old girl.

The 71-year-old finally fell from grace after decades influencing the media when he was convicted of eight counts of the crime, carried out between 1977 and 1984, on Monday.

Passing sentence at Southwark Crown Court today, Judge Anthony Leonard told him: 'These offences may have taken place a long time ago, when inappropriate and trivial sexual behaviour was more likely to be tolerated, but your offending was not trivial, but of a very serious nature.'

The judge said that due to the age of the offences that occurred between 1977 and 1984, Clifford was charged under an act from 1956, which set the maximum term at two years.

Under later legislation passed in 2003, the maximum term would have been 10 years, and for the worst instances would have been charged as rape or assault by penetration, which attract a maximum life term, the court heard.

Clifford repeatedly shook his head as the judge made his comments to a packed courtroom.

Judge Leonard added that he thought Clifford's personality and position in the public eye were why the crimes had not been made public sooner.

He said: 'The reason why they were not brought to light sooner was because of your own dominant character and your position in the world of entertainment which meant that your victims thought that you were untouchable, something that I think you too believed.'

Clifford, who branded his accusers 'fantasists', remained defiant ahead of his sentencing, saying: 'I stand by everything I have said in the last 17 months.'

Judge Anthony Leonard told Clifford he thought his personality and position in the public eye were why the crimes had not been made public sooner''

A court artist sketch of Max Clifford appearing at Southwark Crown Court where he was today jailed for eight years''

A string of Clifford's clients have moved to distance themselves from the veteran agent in the wake of his conviction, the first under the sex crime inquiry Operation Yewtree''

Clifford's solicitor said he is 'seriously' considering an appeal against sentence, and considering an appeal against conviction.

A string of his clients have moved to distance themselves from the veteran agent in the wake of his conviction, the first under the sex crime inquiry Operation Yewtree.

Some of Clifford's supporters, sitting behind the dock in the public gallery, broke down in tears as he was sentenced.buse cases,' she said.

'YOUR OFFENDING IS NOT TRIVIAL BUT OF A VERY SERIOUS NATURE: OPENING SENTENCING REMARKS BY JUDGE ANTHONY LEONARD

Judge Anthony Leonard told Clifford the offences were 'of a very serious nature'

You have been convicted of eight offences of indecent assault. These offences may have taken place a long time ago when inappropriate and trivial sexual misbehaviour was more likely to be tolerated or overlooked, but your offending is not trivial but of a very serious nature and any perception to the contrary on your part is misconceived.

You were charged with indecent assault under an Act passed in 1956. The maximum sentence for these offences was set at two years imprisonment. By the time that the Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force, the maximum sentence for sexual assault was increased to 10 years. 

What is more, some of the sexual acts of which you have now been found guilty would now be charged as rape or assault by penetration for each of which Parliament has laid down a maximum term of life imprisonment.

These are historic offences which took place between 30 and 37 years ago. I judge that the reason why they were not brought to light sooner is because of your own dominant character and your position in the world of entertainment which meant that your victims thought you were untouchable, something I judge that you, too, believed and traded upon. 

This features in the evidence. By way of example the victim of Count 11 told the jury that, as you were pulling up your trousers after a sexual act and as she was leaving, you said something like 'no one is going to believe you' and it was said as if to make her not tell anyone.

The claims against Clifford: The allegations of the women involved in the case and the jury's verdicts

These are the allegations which were made against Max Clifford, as detailed by the prosecution. There were seven women he was charged with assaulting.

+19

Clifford (pictured arriving at court today) was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault concerning four victims, including a girl aged 15. He was cleared of two further counts and jurors failed to reach a verdict on one additional count

THE WIMPY BAR SCHOOLGIRL: She claimed that in 1966, when she was at a Wimpy in her school uniform aged 14, Clifford offered her a lift home. Clifford, then working in the music business, showed her pictures of celebrities and said he could arrange for her to meet any of them. He then ‘threw himself on her’, she said, adding that if she wanted to meet celebrities ‘this is what you’ve got to do’. Rosina Cottage, QC, prosecuting, said he groped her but she fought him and ran off.
VERDICT - NO VERDICT. The jury could not reach a verdict on this count. Clifford continues to deny the charge.

THE RECEPTIONIST: She claimed that, when she was working as a receptionist in Clifford’s West End office, aged 18, Clifford pushed her against a wall, groped her breast and put his tongue in her mouth. She said he tried to put his hand up her top but she was able to ‘wriggle away’. When she returned to work ‘he acted as though nothing had happened’, the prosecution said.VERDICT - NOT GUILTY

THE POTENTIAL MODEL: It was claimed that Clifford met the girl, then aged 15, while in Spain in the summer of 1977, and offered to find her modelling work. She was later called by a 'Terry Miller', who told her she was ‘really lucky’ as Clifford was ‘so influential’. The prosecution says ‘Miller’ was either Clifford himself, or someone he had asked to ‘reel her in’. She claimed that, when she was alone with Clifford, he told her to take her top and bra off because he needed to see her breasts. He later forced her to perform sex acts while he assaulted her. VERDICT - GUILTY

THE ‘TEASE’: She claimed she was interviewed by Clifford aged 19 with a view to becoming his personal assistant. During a cab journey to take her home, the prosecution said Clifford ‘lunged at her’, tried to kiss her and attempted to touch her breasts. When she pushed him away, it is claimed he called her a ‘p****-tease’ and told her to ‘**** off’ when she turned down the job offer.VERDICT - NOT GUILTY

Clifford, pictured arriving at Southwark Crown Court to be sentenced today''

THE 'BOND GIRL': The prosecution said Clifford told a 19-year-old actress, who had been cast in the Bond film Octopussy, that she was perfect for a role in a production starring Charles Bronson, but said he had to take pictures of her in her underwear and send them to the actor. She agreed, and posed for the photos, but when Clifford asked her to open her legs, she refused. He then tried to grab and kiss her and pushed her down on a sofa, but she fought him off, kicking him in the groin, it was claimed.VERDICT - GUILTY

THE WOULD-BE ACTRESS: The court heard that, in the early 1980s, Clifford told a girl that he could ‘get her on TV tomorrow’, but needed to see her figure. She took her dress off, at which point Clifford is said to have groped her. Then his wife rang; Clifford answered, and began to masturbate. He then tried to force the girl to perform a sex act on him. VERDICT - GUILTY

THE DANCER: Clifford allegedly approached an 18-year-old in a nightclub, after asking if she wanted a film role. It was claimed he made a call and handed the phone to the dancer; the man on the other end said she could have a screen test if she confirmed whether Clifford was circumcised. Clifford then went to a toilet cubicle with her and forced her to masturbate him, prosecutors claim.VERDICT - GUILTY

TUMECHOTA NA KUMIMINA DM ILI MJIFUNZE'

FLORA LYIMO FASHION POLICE BLOG