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Football coach Barry Bennell was determined paedophile, court told Football coach Barry Bennell was determined paedophile, court told
(35 minutes later)
The former football coach Barry Bennell was a “devious paedophile” who subjected boys to hundreds of sexual assaults and even carried out his crimes inside the ground of one professional club, the opening day of his trial has heard.The former football coach Barry Bennell was a “devious paedophile” who subjected boys to hundreds of sexual assaults and even carried out his crimes inside the ground of one professional club, the opening day of his trial has heard.
Bennell, 63, is alleged to have carried out offences at Crewe Alexandra’s ground, and the jury at Liverpool crown court was told that he had “pretty much unfettered access to large numbers of young lads who dreamt of a life in professional football”.Bennell, 63, is alleged to have carried out offences at Crewe Alexandra’s ground, and the jury at Liverpool crown court was told that he had “pretty much unfettered access to large numbers of young lads who dreamt of a life in professional football”.
Nicholas Johnson QC, prosecuting, told the court that Bennell, who has since changed his name to Richard Jones, worked as a youth football coach in Cheshire, Manchester and Derbyshire between the late 1970s and the 1990s.Nicholas Johnson QC, prosecuting, told the court that Bennell, who has since changed his name to Richard Jones, worked as a youth football coach in Cheshire, Manchester and Derbyshire between the late 1970s and the 1990s.
“Although it seems that Mr Jones, or Mr Bennell, was a skilled and relatively successful coach, we allege that he had a much darker side,” Johnson said. “He was also, we say, a predatory and determined paedophile. His particular predilection was pre-pubescent boys.”“Although it seems that Mr Jones, or Mr Bennell, was a skilled and relatively successful coach, we allege that he had a much darker side,” Johnson said. “He was also, we say, a predatory and determined paedophile. His particular predilection was pre-pubescent boys.”
One boy alleges he was abused more than 100 times, aged 11 to 13, after Bennell introduced himself as a scout for Manchester City and took him under his wing. Bennell, in police interviews, has denied the boy’s allegations but remembered him as “a nice looking lad ... but one who got away”. One boy alleges he was abused more than 100 times, aged 11 to 13, after Bennell introduced himself as a scout for Manchester City and took him under his wing. Bennell, in police interviews, has denied the boy’s allegations but remembered him as “a nice-looking lad … but one who got away”.
Bennell has admitted seven charges of sexually abusing three boys, aged 11 to 14, but denies 48 other counts relating to 11 boys, aged as young as nine, from 1979 to 1991. Bennell has admitted seven charges of sexually abusing three boys aged 11 to 14, but denies 48 other counts relating to 11 boys aged as young as nine from 1979 to 1991.
The court was told he had already served prison sentences in England and the United States for child-sex offences committed against junior footballers but that he now claims he is the “victim of a concerted effort by people from his past”. The court was told he had already served prison sentences in England and the United States for child sexual offences committed against junior footballers but that he now claimed he was the “victim of a concerted effort by people from his past”.
Bennell’s account is that the complainants are “jumping on the bandwagon and maliciously making up stories about him … motivated by attention-seeking or the prospect of compensation”. Bennell’s account was that the complainants were “jumping on the bandwagon and maliciously making up stories about him … motivated by attention-seeking or the prospect of compensation,” the court heard.
On the first day of a trial that is scheduled to last eight weeks, the jury of seven women and five men was told that Bennell was appearing in court via video-link because he needed to be fed through a tube as a result of illness. The court was told that, if he gave evidence during the trial, he would be present. On the first day of a trial that is scheduled to last eight weeks, the jury of seven women and five men was told that Bennell was appearing in court via video-link because he needed to be fed through a tube as a result of illness. The court was told that if he gave evidence during the trial, he would attend in person.
The prosecutor told jurors there were admissions of mutual masturbation but that Bennell was also accused of much more serious offending, including oral sex and buggery – which would be categorised these days as male rape. Johnson added that the jurors would have to decide if they agreed with Bennell’s version of events or believed the prosecution case that a successful coach was committing serious sexual offences on a large scale and over a long period of time against “very vulnerable lads”. The prosecutor told jurors there were admissions of mutual masturbation but that Bennell was also accused of much more serious offending, including oral sex and buggery, which would be categorised these days as male rape. Johnson said the jurors would have to decide if they agreed with Bennell’s version of events or believed the prosecution case that a successful coach was committing serious sexual offences on a large scale and over a long period of time against “very vulnerable lads”.
One boy, the court heard, recalls his family being completely taken in by the way Bennell “presented to the world as an attractive, confident and skilful individual”, giving him sports kit and treating him to fast-food takeaways on overnight stops at his house. The court heard that one boy recalled his family being taken in by the way Bennell “presented to the world as an attractive, confident and skilful individual”.
According to the boy’s evidence, Bennell had a room where he kept bunk beds for boys to stay over. Before bed-time, the court was told, Bennell would “soften” the boys by playing horror films, deliberately frightening them to make them “more receptive” to being comforted and abused. He would share his bed two at a time and put on music to mask the abuse, it was alleged. According to the boy’s evidence, Bennell had a room where he kept bunk beds for boys to stay over. Before bedtime, Bennell would “soften” the boys by playing horror films, deliberately frightening them to make them more receptive to being comforted and abused, the court was told. He would share his bed two at a time and put on music to mask the abuse, it was alleged.
The trial continues.The trial continues.