Paedophile Ralph Clarke, 101, loses appeal against his 13-year prison sentence

Ralph Clarke, of Holly Lane, Erdington, Birmingham, was jailed for 13 years for child abuse at the city's crown court in December.

The former RAF man and HGV driver had been found guilty of 21 sex offences and admitted nine others.

But he appealed to top judges, claiming his 'extreme old age' should have resulted in a considerably shorter sentence.

Today, a month after Clarke's appeal hearing, senior judges returned to the Court of Appeal in London and upheld the 13-year stretch.

Lady Justice Hallett said there are facilities in jails for old inmates and that Clarke himself was treating it as a 'new experience'.

"It is well-known that the Prison Service is by now experienced in making appropriate provision for geriatric prisoners," she said.

Although Clarke has health difficulties, he was living independently prior to his sentencing and travelled to court on public transport each day for his trial unaided.

Prison officers said they were surprised at how well and quickly he had integrated with other cons, she said.

Had he been a younger man, he would have been jailed for 20 years or more, she said.

But he had made matters worse for himself by pleading not guilty to all the offences, taking a 'defiant attitude' and fighting his case in a trial.

That meant his sentence was longer than it might otherwise have been, because he received no credit for pleading guilty.

"Having regard to the circumstances of this offending and what we know about this offender's age and condition, we are not persuaded that the sentence passed was manifestly excessive," she concluded.

The judge heard the appeal alongside Lady Justice Rafferty, Lord Justice Treacy, Mr Justice Sweeney and Mr Justice Goss.

As a serious sex offender, Clarke is due to serve an additional two years on extended licence after his release.