Gary Glitter breaks down in witness box over child porn convictions

In dramatic scenes the former glam rocker sobbed uncontrollably as he blamed financial woes and his collapsing career for making him look for dark sexual thrills.

The 70-year-old issued a tearful apology to his fans saying: "I lost my own dignity, and I am so sorry. I am very sorry.

"I am sorry today and every day of my life ever since. I am sorry to my fans."

Glitter admitted 54 child porn charges in 1998 after technicians at a Bristol PC World discovered thousands of extreme child porn images on his laptop. 

He denied the allegations on arrest, although later admitted responsibility for a "large number" of images - depicting a full range of sexual activity taking place between men and very young children - being on his computer.

Under cross-examination at Southwark Crown Court today, he said: "I was in a bad place. I wasn't myself at that time. I had a lot of very serious financial decisions to make about my future. 

"I had invested about £200,000 of my own money in a recording career. And basically I couldn't get a recording company, we were selling out huge concerts, my fans were demanding more material and I hadn't worked with Mike Leander.

"By the time I had taken my laptop to PC World I had other allegations coming in and so the lawyers fees and the lawyers bills were tremendous." 

Glitter also told a court he missed his girlfriend, Yudenia Sosa Martinez in Cuba. 

"I couldn't get her out of Cuba," and reaching for a tissue he continued: "I'm so sorry. I still can't get her out of Cuba.

"Any way I went through. I went to prison. I pleaded guilty, accepted my responsibility which has followed me to this day, I was drinking heavily at this time and doing drugs. 

"And the other thing, I had to find this money to pay for the legal costs for the story.

"I was asked by my management to do something that's absolutely terrible, to sell my songs to Universal Pictures. 

"I was just in a bad place. I was remorseful and I am remorseful. 

"I'm so sorry. It changed my life forever."

However John Price QC, prosecuting challenged this by saying: "You will accept that people have difficulties in their careers.

"You will accept that they do not reach for their laptop and look for pictures of men having sex with young children." 

Glitter, who appeared in the stand wearing a brown velvet jacket and red scarf, replied: "No they don't, I was downloading all sorts of porn at that time." 

Glitter - real name Paul Gadd - is accused of one count of attempted rape and another of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 13 in 1975.

He is also accused of two counts of indecent assault with regard to another fan he is said to have assaulted after inviting her to his dressing room after a concert between October 1979 and December 1980.

In connection with a third complainant, who was under the age of 16, he is charged with two counts of indecent assault between October 1979 and December 1980.

The singer, from Marylebone in central London, denies all the charges against him.

The trial continues.