Disgraced former pop star Gary Glitter has been declared bankrupt after failing to pay over £500,000 in damages to a woman he sexually abused when she was 12 years old.
The 80-year-old convicted pedophile, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was ordered last year to pay £508,800 to one of his victims for abuse that occurred between 1975 and 1980. The compensation included £381,000 for lost earnings and £7,800 for therapy costs.
According to lawyers at Slater and Gordon representing the victim, Gadd has refused to cooperate with the legal process. Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at the firm, stated that Gadd "continues to treat his victims with contempt."
The High Court heard that the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been unable to work for decades due to the severe psychological impact of the abuse. Judge Mrs Justice Tipples ruled that Gadd's actions constituted "sexual abuse of the most serious kind" which devastated the victim's education and caused lifelong psychiatric injury.
Gadd is currently in prison after being recalled in 2023 for breaching his license conditions just six weeks after his initial release. He had served half of a 16-year sentence handed down in 2015 for abusing three schoolgirls.
The bankruptcy declaration comes after Gadd failed to acknowledge or respond to the compensation claim, resulting in a default judgment against him. He also declined an opportunity to address the court via video link regarding the damages amount.
The victim's legal team hopes the Parole Board will consider Gadd's continued lack of remorse and failure to compensate his victim when reviewing any future applications for release.