A FORMER paratrooper who helped train Prince William and served alongside Prince Harry has been jailed for more than 17 years after being convicted of child rape.

Wayne Domeney, 51, who went on the run earlier this year, was given a sentence of 17 years and four months.

In February, the former soldier was found guilty of a string of serious sex offences spanning a four year period.

The mother of his victim said: “No matter what he gets it will never be long enough as my daughter has got to live with it for the rest of her life.”

Judge Kristina Montgomery handed him the prison sentence during a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court.

Domeney, whose address was listed with the court as School Lane, Howden-le-Wear, County Durham, was convicted of four counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of intimidating a witness.

Domeney, who was previously known as Wayne Rackham, was due to attend a trial in January and the case went ahead in his absence.

Following his conviction, he went on the run for two-weeks before handing himself in to police.

Domeney signed up to the Army in 1985 and became a Warrant Officer Sergeant Major, touring Iraq and Afghanistan as well as serving in Northern Ireland.

During a career spanning almost 25 years Domeney, who served with 2 Para, took Princess Diana on a tour of Bosnian minefields and also met Prince Charles.

In 2009, the year he left the Army, the former boxing champion was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In an interview with national newspaper last September, following his arrest, he called on the Government to do more to help former soldiers with PTSD.