The man known as Nick accused of lying about a VIP paedophile ring in Westminster penned a “tribute” directed at the late Tory minister Leon Brittan’s family, calling him “as close to evil as a human being can get”, a court has been told.

Carl Beech sent an email to his counsellor, Vicki Paterson, including a “personal tribute to Lord Leon Brittan” weeks after his death, in which he said the “sadistic” former home secretary had repeatedly raped him as a boy.

Paterson, who had more than 100 counselling sessions with Beech, told the court the 51-year-old former nurse had written it to “help with what he was feeling” at seeing Brittan in news reports after he died.

Newcastle crown court also heard on Friday how at one stage during the police investigation Beech was “very close” to withdrawing as he found it “overwhelming and too difficult”.

Beech is accused of fabricating his claims of an establishment gang of murderous paedophiles, which sparked a £2m police inquiry that closed without an arrest being made. He claimed the abuse gang included Brittan, the former prime minister Edward Heath, Field Marshal Lord Bramall and the former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, among others. Brittan died with the allegations hanging over him.

On 15 February 2015, the month after Brittan’s death, Beech emailed Paterson with a tribute to the Tory MP directed at the politician’s family. Paterson explained to the court: “From my memory, there was a session where he was very sad about Leon Brittan and what he was hearing on the news.

“He had some very upset feelings around what was happening at this time so he said he wanted to write something about Lord Brittan to help with what he was feeling.”

In the tribute, Beech said he did not see the “warm, witty and kind man” described in the news, but instead saw a “brutal, sadistic and evil man”.

He wrote: “I would genuinely want to offer my condolences to the family of Leon Brittan.

“You obviously loved him very much. I do not want to add to your grief, but I know what I am about to say will upset you greatly.”

He added: “I did not see the warm, witty and kind man.

“I saw a brutal, sadistic and evil man who treated myself and others with utter contempt.

“I experienced his brutality as he raped me again and again over the years.

“I am genuinely sorry for your loss, but I am sorry he did not live long enough to see the day when he would be arrested and I was finally able to look him in the eye across a courtroom.”

He described how Brittan did “truly horrific things to me and other boys, one of whom died”.

The tribute added: “He showed me no kindness or warmth. He was as close to evil as a human being can get, in my view. He has taken away my right to see justice done.”

Paterson, who had 121 sessions with Beech between February 2012 and October 2016, also told the court he was “very close” to withdrawing from the police investigation in September 2015 following press coverage of the inquiry.

Beech – who at the time was known under the pseudonym Nick – emailed Paterson on 21 September, highlighting a Daily Mail article which he said “virtually identified me in public”.

He added: “I made the decision over the weekend that enough is enough and I am going to withdraw, however, I also know I shouldn’t make decisions in the heat of the moment, so I’m going to make my decision at the end of the week. I don’t know who I can trust, I’ve totally lost confidence in the police.”

Asked by the prosecutor, Tony Badenoch QC, whether Beech had discussed with her withdrawing from the police investigation, Paterson replied: “He did say he was very close to withdrawing in a session. He said he felt it was too overwhelming and too difficult to continue.”

The court also heard that Beech had told Paterson about three separate murders of children by the group, which he also informed the police about.

Meanwhile, jurors were also told that Beech – who the trial earlier heard is himself a convicted paedophile – had been involved with a “Wall of Silence” exhibition put on to “raise awareness for victims and survivors of sexual abuse”.

Paterson said she had tried to help Beech, telling the court: “Part of my aim was just to support Carl … in his very difficult stories that he was telling me and to work with what that was bringing up in him and to give him some coping mechanisms to help him.”

Asked by Collingwood Thompson QC, defending, whether she felt Beech ever overcame his emotional problems during their 100-plus sessions, she replied: “As far as I can observe, he didn’t. There were periods where he was a little bit lighter but there was a struggle all the way through with Mr Beech’s emotions.”

Beech denies 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud over a £22,000 criminal compensation claim that he received.

The trial earlier heard how Beech, from Gloucester, had told police he was among the victims of a group of senior figures in politics, the military and the intelligence services who he claimed had raped, kidnapped and murdered boys in the late 1970s and early 80s.

The trial continues.