Gary GlitterGary Glitter has been sentenced to three years in jail by a Vietnamese court for sexually abusing two young girls.

Glitter, real name Paul Gad, proclaimed his innocence even as the verdict was announced, claiming it was part of a unbelievable “conspiracy” against him. Through an interpreter, he told the judge: “this is a sham. I’ve been hounded,” and accused his victims, aged 11 and 12, of lying.

Such posturing didn’t impress the judge on the case. As he sentenced Glitter, Judge Hoang Thanh Tung said “his lewd acts have compromised the dignity of the Vietnamese people, law and common sense, and therefore it is necessary to punish him.”

Despite the three year sentence, Glitter could be released before the end of the year but will be face deportation either way. If he returns to the UK, he could face further charges here related to ‘child-sex tourism’.

The British Embassy in Vietnam said in a statement: “Both the UK and the Vietnamese governments take the issue of child-sex tourism extremely seriously.

“We are grateful to the Vietnamese authorities in permitting UK-Vietnam police liaison in this case, as part of wider ongoing UK-Vietnam police liaison on the issue of sex tourism.”