A child rapist who had an ‘inflated view’ of his celebrity status as the manager of a city centre curry house has been jailed for 14 years for 36 historic sex offences.

Ramsey Ramsey, 79, of Grange Road, Chester, will spend the twilight years of his life serving a minimum two-thirds of the prison sentence for grooming and sexually abusing five underage girls between 1987 and 2000.

After deliberating for seven hours and 33 minutes, the jury of six men and six women unanimously found the pensioner guilty of 16 counts of rape, 11 counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child, three counts of taking indecent images of children and three counts of procuration of a female under the age of 21.

Judge John Benson QC directed a not guilty verdict on a further charge of indecency with a child under the age of 14 on a point of law.

During the 12-day trial at Chester Crown Court, the jury heard that Ramsey groomed each of the girls - who cannot be named for legal reasons - by buying them gifts and plying them with alcohol, before going on to systematically abuse them.

One of his victims was just 13 when he, some 40 years older, began to sexually assault her.

French-Lebanese Ramsey had been a long-serving member of staff at the Bombay Palace on Upper Northgate Street, where many of the offences took place in one of its upstairs bedrooms.

Sentencing Ramsey, Judge Benson condemned his ‘utterly despicable’ behaviour towards the ‘vulnerable and naive girls’ and his failure to show even ‘an ounce of remorse’.

“You befriended, groomed and sexually assaulted a number of teenage girls,” Judge Benson said.

“You bought their friendship.

“Your inflated view of your celebrity status made you think you were untouchable.

“You were not. Justice has caught up with you.”

The police investigation was triggered when one of the women went to the police after the revelations about TV personality Jimmy Savile came to light in the media.

The other four were traced by police, using letters and photographs recovered from Ramsey’s home.

Prosecuting barrister John Wyn Williams read three of the victims’ personal statements, in which the women variously referred to panic attacks, depression and fear of disclosing the abuse to their families.

One of the women revealed she hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep for the past 23 years and that her marriage had been destroyed.

She said: “I have cried for years at my own cowardice at not coming forward.

“I hate the fact that Ramsey has been free and able to walk around Chester while I have been in fear of visiting my own hometown. I will never forgive Ramsey for everything that he did.”

In spite of medical evidence to the contrary, Ramsey maintained throughout the police investigation and trial that he has been unable to have an erection since an accident in 1974 in which he broke his back falling through a glass roof.

The judge, however, said: “I am quite satisfied from the evidence that you had a voracious sexual appetite.”

Judge Benson also slammed Ramsey’s ‘character assassination’ of his victims - who he described as ‘professional liars’ - and the officer in charge of the investigation, DC Simon Ledger of Cheshire Constabulary’s Paedophile Unit.

He commended the officer for the ‘pivotal’ role he played in bringing Ramsey to justice.

“His work is challenging, sensitive and distressing,” Judge Benson said.

“It is clear to me that he has conducted this case with diligence, care and responsibility.

The judge also commended the victims for the ‘great deal of courage’ they showed giving their evidence.

“It it so be hoped that their significant psychological problems will, if not resolved, be ameliorated now that this process is over.”

Ramsey will be on the sexual offenders register indefinitely.

DC Ledger said of the ‘complex case’: “I would like to thank the witnesses for the bravery and strength they have shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to the police and supporting the investigation and subsequent prosecution.

“Ramsey’s actions were despicable and this case has had a profound effect on all those involved who have had to relive what happened during the trial.

“We – along with a number of support services – will continue to support all of the victims and I hope that the successful conclusion of this case helps others who may have experienced something similar to come forward.

“We have a duty to protect those who are most vulnerable within our communities and this case should reassure the public that we take any incidents of this nature extremely seriously and will do all we can to trace those responsible for this type of behaviour and ensure they are punished for their actions.”