A judge has praised the courage of a child sex abuse victim as he jailed two brothers for a total of ten years.

Paul Evans, 27, and his younger brother Lee Morris subjected the girl to sustained abuse over a six-year period from when she was a six-year-old, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Jailing Evans for seven years, Judge Peter Benson told him he had abused the girl with impunity for his sexual gratification.

The judge told 25-year-old Morris he was vulnerable and easily led.

Sentencing him to three years’ imprisonment, he said: “I accept you were under the sway, and malign influence, of your brother.”

But he said Morris had failed to recognise the damage he had done and the seriousness of his conduct.

Judge Benson said the young woman had been traumatised and suffered great distress and despair.

But he said: “Twice she has given – with great courage – evidence against you, Paul Evans, and the jury accepted on the second occasion the truth of what she said and dismissed your account as lies.”

Evans, of Falmouth Avenue, Wapping, Bradford, was convicted after a retrial of five counts of rape and two of indecent assault. Morris, of Valley Road, Shipley, pleaded guilty to three charges of rape.

Prosecutor Nicholas Askins said the girl was abused between the ages of six and shortly before her 13th birthday. The defendants were of school age at the time.

Mr Askins said Evans began the abuse by indecently touching her. Morris then began touching the girl after his brother said it was allowed.

The prosecutor said the defendants went on to rape the girl from when she was about eight.

Mr Askins said Evans went on to rape her on a weekly basis until just before her 13th birthday. Morris began raping her after being told by his brother the behaviour was permitted.

Evans’ barrister, Sophie Drake, said he had been young at the time and had led a blameless life since.

Stephen Wood, representing Morris, said his client was psychologically vulnerable and an inadequate individual.

“He copied what his brother did, and copied what his brother told him to do,” Mr Wood said.

Evans and Morris were both made subject of Sexual Offences Prevention Orders, banning them from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and from seeking employment which might give them access to anyone under 16. They were also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life.