Devendra Kumar
A woman who was abused by Gary Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, between 1975 and 1980, is seeking approximately £500,000 in damages from the former rock star. The woman has already obtained a default judgment in her claim, and a judge is now considering the level of damages she can receive. Gary Glitter’s victim’s barrister, Jonathan Metzer, argued that his client’s abuse had a “dramatic and terrible impact” on her education, work, and personal relationships. The barrister contended that the abuse had a profound effect on the woman’s life, causing her to be plagued by thoughts of self-blame and rendering her unable to work for several decades.
Metzer pointed out that Glitter’s abuse was facilitated by an imbalance of power, given that he was a rock star and his victim’s mother was a fan of his music. The barrister also emphasized that the abuse was an abuse of trust, as Glitter had manipulated his victim and taken advantage of her vulnerability. The woman’s damages claim includes £20,000 per year for 40 years, covering the time she has been unable to work. However, the judge, Mrs Justice Tipples, expressed skepticism regarding the large amount of money being sought and will consider the matter further.
Gary Glitter did not attend the hearing and was not represented by a lawyer, with the court informed that he had not engaged with the civil case. Glitter was jailed for 16 years in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls and is currently being held at The Verne prison in Dorset. His sentence expires in February 2031, but he was recently returned to prison after breaching his licence conditions by attempting to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children.