A PRISON wing governor, considered "an ogre" by his victim, was today jailed for four years for child sex offences.

Barry Cummings, 49, was described as "arrogant and overbearing" by Judge Christopher Prince as he sentenced him at Durham Crown Court.

Cummings, a law graduate who has worked in the prison service for a number of years, was a wing or 'shift' governor at Low Newton Women's Prison, on the outskirts of Durham, at the time of his arrest last year, after the victim plucked up courage to tell her mother what had taken place, and police were informed.

Cummings, whose address was in Taylor Avenue, Bearpark, near Durham, up to the end of the trial, denied the allegations.

But, he was convicted by a jury of three counts of intentional sexual touching of a girl under the age of 13 after the five-day hearing last month.

The court was told he still continues to deny that anything has taken place.

Julie Clemitson, prosecuting, said the girl remains psychologically affected by what happened to her and still fears Cummings, who she considers to be "an ogre", despite the fact he is now behind bars.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said the case has led to the loss of Cummings' home, marriage and job.

Jailing him, Judge Prince told Cummings: "You strike me as a strikingly arrogant, overbearing man with a forceful personality."