THE devastating impact of the Elkins brothers’ abuse was revealed to Winchester Crown Court on Friday as all three victims told of their torment.

David Elkins, of Battery Hill, Winchester, has been jailed for 14 years for attacks against three girls.

The former bus driver, 60, groomed one victim for several years, taking pornographic photographs and “buying her silence” with sweets and money, a judge said.

Elkins brothers jailed over historic child sex abuse >>

Anthony Elkins, 69, of St Catherine’s Road, Winchester, was given two years in jail for sexually assaulting her between the ages of 13 and 14.

One of David Elkins' victims told how she has self-harmed for more than 40 years and washes three times a day as a result of the abuse when she was aged between four and eight.

She said in a statement: "I can't remember anything nice about my childhood. I became an alcoholic at the age of 13 and I took an overdose at this young age because I wanted to die."

The woman, now in her 40s and recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, told how her own relationships suffered and she was scared to go to school.

She added: "I would never feel confident, and blamed myself for years because I was told by David that I was a bad girl and I would be put in a children's home if I didn't do what I was told."

Appearing behind a screen, another victim told of her "guilt, panic and terror" as she kept the ordeal a secret from everyone, including her husband.

"I thought that by keeping the abuse to myself, everything would be okay," she said. "But how wrong I was.

"It always came back to what I was told by my abuser over and over again – no use telling anyone, they won't believe it, it’s been my secret."

A third woman, abused by both brothers in her adolescence, told how her children were put in a home at weekends because her trauma affected her parenting.

She said: "I'm getting stronger and I hope I can carry on with my life and get better myself. I'm on medication at the moment but I'd like to come off it at some time. I'd like to become normal again."

The victims cannot be named for legal reasons.