A PRISON wing governor – considered “an ogre” by his victim – was yesterday 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, when he was arrested last year.

His victim had earlier plucked up the courage to tell her mother what had taken place, and police were informed.

Cummings, whose address was Taylor Avenue, Bearpark, near Durham, denied the allegations.

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

Judge Prince remanded Cummings in custody pending probation reports prior to sentence yesterday.

The court was told he still continues to deny anything took place.

Julie Clemitson, prosecuting, said the girl remains psychologically affected and fears Cummings even though he is now behind bars.

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said the case had caused the loss of Cummings’ home, marriage and job, and – given the nature of the offences and his previous occupation – he faces a more stressful ordeal than most inmates behind bars, requiring constant supervision.

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

“You continued to deny your guilt for these offences in the face of the overwhelming evidence at trial. The jury saw through your lies and found you ‘guilty’.”

Judge Prince praised the courage of the girl in reporting Cummings and for maintaining her allegations despite being labelled a liar during the trial.

A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed indefinitely on Cummings, limiting his future contact with children, while he must also sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

􀁥 A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice yesterday confirmed Cummings was suspended in October and has now been dismissed from the prison service.