A Newcastle Emlyn man who horse-whipped four of his children has been jailed.

He made them stand facing a wall until their legs hurt and they could not control their bladders.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children, admitted 25 child cruelty offences.

He was jailed for six years and nine months, and after his release will be on licence and liable to be recalled to prison until September 2029.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that during that police investigation it became clear he had been cruel to his children over a number of years.

Mr Davis said the man kept the whip hanging on the inside of the back door as a constant reminder to the children what would happen if he thought they were being naughty.

On some occasions he hit them and then hit them again if they cried.

For bed wetting he made them stand in a line facing a wall and refused to allow them to use the toilet.

He kicked his young son between his legs and hit him with a piece of wood.

Sometimes, said Mr Davis, the father would horse-whip his children as a “pre-warning” and before they had done anything wrong.

And he made them fight each other and the “winner” amongst the girls was expected to fight his son.

After his arrest the man claimed to have been “toughening up” his children but admitted he had gone too far.

Judge Keith Thomas said he did not accept the explanation and in his opinion the father had derived sadistic pleasure in being cruel to his children.

“You carried out a campaign of bullying and intimidation when you should have been a role model,” said the judge.

“I don’t believe it was punishment. You derived pleasure from inflicting humiliation and degradation on them.

“These were appalling acts of cruelty. They were multiple and prolonged and you used weapons.”

Judge Thomas ruled that the man was a dangerous offender as defined by law. He issued a restraining order preventing the man from contacting his children or wife for the next 15 years.