A paedophile who suffered a stroke before he was extradited to the UK has moaned about his treatment in British prisons.
Benny Lundquvist, 65, from Sweden, molested a little girl in sexual abuse in Merseyside that had a "devastating impact" on the victim.
But while she was left contemplating suicide, he returned to his native country and carried on with his life like nothing had ever happened.
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In late 2020, the pervert suffered a stroke, just months before he was dragged back to Merseyside to face justice for his sick crimes.
Now he is complaining about prison healthcare not being of the same standard he was receiving in a rehabilitation centre back home.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Lundquvist's victim was a very young girl when he started abusing her in the Merseyside area.
Lundquvist performed sex acts on the child and also exposed himself to her and asked her to perform a sex act on him.
Frances Willmott, prosecuting, said the little girl "didn't tell anyone because she had been told to keep it a secret".
When the girl got older she realised what happened was wrong, was "distressed" and told friends, but by then Lundquvist was long gone.
He was extradited to UK and stood trial in January, when he was found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child.
Ms Willmott said the now adult woman described self-harming as a teenager and "struggling with her body image due to comments made to her by Mr Lundquvist".
She said the victim suffered from suicidal thoughts and flashbacks, struggled with sexual relationships and had feelings of shame, leading to her undergoing therapy, but she hadn't felt able to speak openly about what happened to her.
The court heard Lundquvist, of Blockflöjtstigen, Kungsängen, Sweden, had no previous convictions in the UK or in his native country.
Mark Pritchard, defending, said his client's comments in a pre-sentence report meant "I will be somewhat limited in the mitigation I can put forward".
He said Lundquvist had ongoing health issues arising from a stroke he suffered in October 2020 in Croatia, when he was flown by air ambulance to an intensive care unit in Sweden.
Mr Pritchard said: "He was hospitalised in a stroke unit for a number of months. He was unable to walk or talk properly and was tube fed."
The lawyer said Lundquvist was discharged to a rehabilitation centre, but then the extradition proceedings began and "that rehabilitation was of course put on hold whilst he was in custody".
Mr Pritchard said: "He still has sensory issues, hearing loss left hand side, numbness in his right side, which goes up into his head, causing him pain.
"He says the prison healthcare here is not of the same standard as he was having in rehabilitation. It's taken two months in custody to receive the medication he was relying on to prevent further strokes."
Mr Pritchard said Lundquvist also suffered from a "hormone imbalance", which in Sweden was treated with injections, but because the NHS works differently, in the UK this treatment can only be prescribed by a selected few specialists.
He said when his client doesn't receive these injections he struggles to sleep, his bones become "brittle" and he feels "achy all over".
Judge Louise Brandon said she had read the victim statement and heard the woman give evidence about the "devastating impact" of the abuse on her life.
The judge said: "She struggles with feelings of shame and disgust. She has contemplated suicide because of the disgust she feels at what you did to her."
Judge Brandon said there had been a delay in bringing Lundquvist to justice, adding: "She felt unable to speak up because she had been conditioned by you into believing that the behaviour was normal and she felt a sense of shame."
She told Lundquvist: "I have read your pre-sentence report with care. You have maintained that you did not commit the offences and so have shown no remorse, understanding or empathy for your victim.
"It's clear you put your own sexual desires above the consequences of what you were doing."
Judge Brandon said Lundquvist had children and grandchildren who would "bear the burden" of his time in jail and that she took into account his age and the state of his health, which would make prison a greater punishment for him than it would a younger man.
The judge jailed him for eight years and said he would be released at the halfway stage, at which point he will be "liable for automatic deportation".
Lundquvist must sign on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Support for victims is also available through the registered charity the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside, who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063 or Rape and Sexual Assault Merseyside (RASA) on 0151 558 1801. In an emergency, always call 999.
Children concerned about abuse can contact Childline 24/7 on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about the wellbeing of children can phone the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000.
Anyone concerned about their own behaviour, or that of a family member, can contact stopitnow.org.uk and get-help.stopitnow.org.uk
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