March 2017 Man sexually abused children and kept them quiet by threatening to shoot them like he had his wife A convicted killer, who shot his wife dead, has been jailed for 15 years after threatening to murder two young girls he was sexually abusing.  Maurice Wells, 73, from Clacton in Essex, told the youngster that they would suffer the same fate as his wife if they told anyone about what he was doing to them.  Wells was 33 when he shot and killed his wife, Suzanne, in the front garden of their Colchester home in 1976 after she claimed one of their children was not his. He was jailed for 10 years but after being released Wells, now 73, began to groom his first victim during the 1990s. Chelmsford Crown Court heard on one occasion he carried out a sickening indecent assault on the victim which would now legally be classed as the rape of a child. Despite threatening his victims – who were not family members – to hide his sick secrets they bravely spoke out. Wells, who is a granddad, was set to stand trial but admitted three counts of indecent assault on a child aged between six and nine years old and three counts of sexual activity with another child. Emma Nash, prosecuting, told the court Wells offered his first victim £2 to agree to the sex act but when she refused he did it anyway. She said: ‘He told her not to tell anybody, she was told nobody would believe her. ‘He told her if she did he would shoot her and her family, he told her he had shot his own wife.’ He indecently assaulted her on two other occasions. Ms Nash said: ‘He told her again he would cause harm to her and her family. She did not tell anyone.’ The court heard since suffering abuse she has struggled to cope. Ms Nash said: ‘She has a drink problem. She said she was scared of him. She wanted to stand up in court and say ‘Look what you have done to me’. The court heard, on Friday, it had affected every day and every part of her life. The second vulnerable victim was abused in the 2000s. Wells abused her with various forms of sexual intercourse when she was too young to give permission. She struggled to understand what was happening to her because of a condition which made her vulnerable. He committed three counts of underage sexual activity with her. The court heard how Wells was suicidal back in January before he was due to stand trial for the sex offences. He booked into an Ipswich hotel and was reported missing. When he was found he was said to be in a suicidal state and had equipment ready to gas himself. Wells received three seven year sentences for sexual activity with a child to be served concurrently. He received an eight-year sentence for one indecent assault and sentences of three years and five years for the other indecent assaults. These will be concurrent to each other but consecutive to the crimes against the other victim – making 15 years in total. The pensioner was originally jailed in 1977 for manslaughter which also saw him take his own daughter hostage before pouring petrol over her. Police were involved in a seven hour stand-off at the time before he gave himself up in an incident which became known as ‘The Siege of Gloucester Avenue’. He had denied murder but admitted manslaughter. Judge David Turner QC said: ‘You were convicted of that here in 1977. You got 10 years for shooting your wife. It shows you are capable of significant violence and loss of control. ‘You are almost 74, a father and grandfather. ‘You have pleaded guilty to a course of grave sexual misconduct. They [the victims] were aged 15 and between six and nine years old. ‘They were children, you were in your 50s and 60s. You owed them a duty of protection and trust which was gravely abused. ‘There were elements of exploitation, manipulation, grooming and coercion, elements of concealment.’ He revealed one of the charges would amount to rape if committed today. The younger victim made a victim personal statement. Judge Turner read extracts including, ‘it continues to affect me dreadfully, it has profoundly affected me, it has ruined my life’.’ He added: ‘You have shown very little remorse but there is the beginning of recognition. ‘You may well have been a damaged person yourself but you have turned that not into any empathy but evil.’  January 2017 Elderly pervert admits string of sex attacks on two girls including six-year-old AN elderly paedophile has admitted a string of sex attacks on two underage girls. Maurice Wells, 73, was due to stand trial for a number of sex offences but admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child about ten years ago and three historic counts of indecent assault in the 1990s before proceedings began at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday. One of the victims was aged below 16 at the time of the incidents and the second was aged six and seven when Wells forced himself on her. The Crown Prosecution Service decided it was not in the interest of justice to pursue other offences he was alleged to have committed. Sentencing of Wells has been adjourned until March and he will undergo a number of medical reports. Speaking to Wells, Judge David Turner QC said: “Your sentencing seems a long way away but it is in your best interest proper material is prepared.” The judge also praised prosecutor Emma Nash and Richard Potts, mitigating for Wells, for finding a solution which would not see the two victims have to give evidence. He added: “This is a solution which has spared the victims the stress and indignity of having to appear in the witness box.” Wells, of Walton Road, Clacton, who was wearing a pink polo shirt and jeans, apologised to members of his family in the public gallery saying he was sorry to be putting them through this as he was taken away. There was no application for bail, meaning Wells will be remanded in custody until he is sentenced.