Convicted rapist Martyn RickettsTHE parents of child rapist Martyn Ricketts have disowned their son and say he should hang.

Josephine and Malcolm Ricketts have also strongly defended themselves against claims that an abusive childhood was to blame for their son's crimes.

As reported in the Advertiser last week, defence solicitor Paul Highams told Swindon Crown Court that Ricketts had a bad start in life, adding that both his parents were alcoholics.

Jailing him for 12 years for a string of attacks on a young girl, Judge John McNaught said: "I know you had a very sad and abusive childhood, as I have read what it says about it in your pre-sentence report."

Mr and Mrs Ricketts were horrified by the claims which they say were a pack of lies concocted by their son, of Islandsmead, Eldene, to get a more lenient sentence.

Both deny ever having had a drink problem, and say their son enjoyed a happy childhood in a loving family.

Mr Ricketts, 51, said: "I'm incensed by these accusations because at no stage has anyone made any effort to investigate whether what he was saying was true.

"We have both been wrongly judged without anyone trying to substantiate these allegations.

"Even when our other son stood up in court to say this wasn't true, no one took any notice.

"For the last six months, our lives have been torn apart, and we hoped this sentence would draw a line under it.

"But then this happens. The worst part is the claim that Martyn had an abusive childhood, which is completely untrue."

Mrs Ricketts, 50, said: "We did our best to bring him up as an honest and decent person.

"Yes we would give him a smack if he was naughty, but that is as far as it went.

"Luckily our friends and neighbours have not been taken in by this and have rallied round to support us."

Neither parent has spoken to their son who began abusing his victim when she was six for several years.

They say he changed into a violent drunk when his wife Donna with whom he had three children died from cancer in 2000.

The pair are now trying to erase the 29-year-old from their lives, and have started by taking down all his photographs from the walls of their Walcot home.

Mr Ricketts said: "He is the biggest piece of low-life on the planet and 12 years is not enough for him.

"I have always believed in the death penalty for murderers and those who commit sex crimes.

"He has destroyed a young life and I say let him hang."

Mrs Ricketts said: "He is no longer part of this family and we want him out of our lives.

"I would happily pull the lever."

Tamash Lal