Cleared, tennis dad accused of a cruel coaching regime
A TENNIS coach wept yesterday after he was cleared of physically and emotionally abusing his two daughters in an attempt to turn them into Wimbledon stars.
John De’Viana, 55, was said to have beaten, spat at and insulted Monaei and Nephe, now 21 and 19, during a brutal coaching regime that started at 5am daily.
However, a jury took less than 90 minutes to clear him of two counts of child cruelty.
Mr De’Viana broke down as the verdicts were read out.
Outside Snaresbrook Crown Court, London, his solicitor Daniel Salter, said: “This has been a difficult and upsetting time for Mr De’Viana – particularly seeing his daughters giving evidence.
“As their father rather than their coach, he loves them and will always love them. He hopes one day he can speak to them about what has happened.
“Despite police investigating in 2011 he has had to face these allegations yet again. They have finally been dismissed.”
During a two-week trial it was alleged that Mr De’Viana spat and swore at the girls and refused them food if they played badly. The 54-year-old was said to have called them “fat, lazy ***** ”.
He said the girls fabricated the allegations to get back at him for walking out on the family in 2011.
He repeatedly denied the many allegations of mistreatment and witnesses, including coaches and family members, denied seeing him mistreat them.
Geoff Thompson from the Lawn Tennis Association, said: “John is ideally suited to working with young children.”