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Barry Bennell trial: Boy 'abused on way to games' | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Former football coach Barry Bennell abused a boy while giving him lifts to and from training and youth matches at Manchester City, a court has heard. | Former football coach Barry Bennell abused a boy while giving him lifts to and from training and youth matches at Manchester City, a court has heard. |
A witness told Liverpool Crown Court he was abused by Mr Bennell - who acted as a youth scout for the club - from the age of nine or 10 until 14 or 15. | |
He said Mr Bennell raped him "about half a dozen times" during that time. | |
Mr Bennell, 64, now known as Richard Jones, denies 48 sex offence charges involving 11 boys. | Mr Bennell, 64, now known as Richard Jones, denies 48 sex offence charges involving 11 boys. |
The alleged offences took place between 1979 and 1991. | The alleged offences took place between 1979 and 1991. |
Giving evidence in court, the witness said he was a junior footballer playing for his local club team when he first met Mr Bennell, who at the time worked as a scout for Manchester City. | |
He told the court his parents were very busy and "trusted Mr Bennell to pick me up", adding that the ex-coach would give him a lift "on all occasions", taking him to matches and training. | |
He said the abuse would begin with a game called "follow me", which the Mr Bennell would initiate. | He said the abuse would begin with a game called "follow me", which the Mr Bennell would initiate. |
'Walked away' | 'Walked away' |
"He would move his hands around your body on the outside of your clothes, tickle you, and you would have to do the same to him," he said. | "He would move his hands around your body on the outside of your clothes, tickle you, and you would have to do the same to him," he said. |
The game would keep going until his hands were "inside your shirt or inside your underpants", the witness told the jury. | The game would keep going until his hands were "inside your shirt or inside your underpants", the witness told the jury. |
"I just thought it was normal, this is what you have to do," he added. | "I just thought it was normal, this is what you have to do," he added. |
He said the abuse would take place regularly, if not every time Mr Bennell gave him a lift. | He said the abuse would take place regularly, if not every time Mr Bennell gave him a lift. |
"That game was pretty much ongoing until, basically, I walked away from football," he told the court. | "That game was pretty much ongoing until, basically, I walked away from football," he told the court. |
He told the jury he was also abused at Mr Bennell's then home in the Peak District, where boys would watch horror movies in the dark, often sharing Mr Bennell's bed. | |
The man said he was also abused on trips to Wales, where he described staying in a "haunted house" with other boys. | |
"That was his scene, he would try and scare the lads," he told the court. | |
'I was crying' | |
The alleged abuse escalated and eventually led to Mr Bennell raping him, he told the jury. | |
"The first time I will never forget it, " he said. | |
"I was just crying, the pain. It felt like it went on for hours but it was probably two or three minutes." | |
He told the court that none of the boys spoke to each other about the alleged abuse, adding: "We knew where we wanted to go and we just thought this was what we had to go through." | |
The witness said he had contacted police in 2016 after seeing former footballers speak about allegations of abuse. | |
Defending Mr Bennell, Eleanor Laws QC, questioned whether the witness had discussed seeking financial compensation with a solicitor or other alleged victims. | |
"This is not about compensation, this is about justice," he replied. | |
She said: "I suggest to you that you were not sexually abused at all by Barry Bennell. Do you agree or disagree?" | |
"Disagree", he replied. | |
Mr Bennell is on trial for 35 counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of buggery and two counts of attempted buggery, on boys aged between eight and 14. | |
He is appearing in court via video link due to illness. | He is appearing in court via video link due to illness. |
Before the trial, Mr Bennell, an ex-Crewe Alexandra coach, admitted seven charges of indecent assault committed between 1981 and 1991, relating to three boys aged between 11 and 14. | Before the trial, Mr Bennell, an ex-Crewe Alexandra coach, admitted seven charges of indecent assault committed between 1981 and 1991, relating to three boys aged between 11 and 14. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |