A former cricket coach has been jailed for five years and nine months for a series of sex assaults on teenage boys over a 14-year period.

Dean Thomas Wales, 35, of Ballawattleworth, Peel, appeared for sentencing at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Wednesday.

Two of his three victims were in the public gallery to see him jailed.

Deemster Alastair Montgomerie praised them for their courage.

He told them after Wales had been led down to the cells: ’It’s only right I acknowledge in open court the courage shown by both of you in making your complaints to the police.

’I can’t even begin to imagine just how difficult it must have been.’

Wales, a mortgage advisor and part-time pizza delivery driver, had been a coach for St John’s Cricket Club and also played for Kirk Michael and Marown football clubs.

The court heard that his youngest victim was just 12 or 13 and had looked up to Wales as a father figure while he was being coached at cricket.

The defendant befriended the family and visited him at home on the pretext of playing computer games but while staying the night, he sneaked upstairs and assaulted the boy in his own bed.

A second victim, then aged 15 or 16, was plied with alcohol when Wales, then aged 32 or 33, got him to come round while his wife was away, again on the pretext of playing computer games.

The court heard that another victim came forward after reading the press coverage of the defendant’s first appearance in court.

That victim was 15 at the time of the offences which took place when Wales was 19 and living in a flat above the Tynwald Inn in St John’s in 2003-04.

Harrowing victim impact statements were read out in court.

One victim said he had suffered from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts and at one point had even plotted revenge by planning to order a pizza and then waiting to beat Wales with a baseball bat.

’What he has done is inexcusable,’ he said.

A second victim said he was diagnosed with severe anxiety, was unable to work and led a quite isolated life. ’I will never forgive what he has done to me,’ he said.

The third victim said his moods have been up and down and he can no longer trust people.

Wales had denied the four counts of indecent assault - until changing his pleas to guilty four days before his trial.

He also pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children. He had pretended to be a 13-year-old to solicit images from other boys.

The court heard that Wales had lost his marriage, his home, his job and his good character. Having initially been in total denial, he now accepted full responsibility and felt genuine remorse, the court heard.

Jailing him, Deemster Montgomerie said: ’Your victims are serving life sentences.

’You are now going to have to pay the price for your offending.

’No human being should have to go through what they experienced at your hands. It must never happen to anyone else.’

Wales was placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, until further notice.