THE former partner of Thomas Farrington, the Devizes man who had more than 1,500 images of child pornography stored on his computers, has disowned him.

Farrington, 52, was jailed for 15 months by a judge at Swindon Crown Court earlier this month and was put on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

The police found sickening images of young girls, often in a distressed state, engaged in perverted sex acts with adults and animals.

His former partner, who has asked not to be named, said: "I hate him and feel sick. How could he do this?

"When the police said they had found something on his computer I asked him about it and he swore that he didn't look at any pictures. He said he went into a paedophile website to see if he could get help for someone else. He was trying to put the blame elsewhere.

"I feel I've wasted six years of my life.

"In court he played on his disability. Although he had a wheelchair he could do without it. He can get around on crutches fine and he can use one walking stick. He should have got a longer prison sentence, three years for example."

Another family member said: "He should have got at least five years in prison. Hearing the details of the offences in court was absolutely horrendous.

"He was a very placid bloke and I don't understand what kicks he would have got out of looking at this vile stuff."

Swindon Crown Court was told Farrington was being investigated for other matters when police examined two computers at his home.

Farrington, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to 12 charges of making indecent images of a child between November 2002 and March last year.

He also admitted a charge of possessing indecent images of children on March 18 last year when arrested.