Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Officers twice spoke to Gary Speed about serial pervert
TRAGIC football star Gary Speed was spoken to by police probing Barry Bennell.
After the pervert was convicted of 43 sex assaults, Gary’s mum Carol said: “He was interviewed twice and said nothing had taken place. That’s all we know.”
Her husband Roger, 74, added: “I was there every time Gary was with Bennell. I am confident that nothing happened.
“I am positive, Gary would have said. He never stayed at Bennell’s house, I was always with him, I brought him home.”
Carol, 72, and Roger spoke after an unnamed victim of Bennell claimed he was certain former Wales legend Gary, who killed himself in 2011, was abused by the former youth coach.
The man told Channel 4 Dispatches: “On a few occasions, Gary was in the same bed. Barry would abuse one of us then turn over and then abuse the other.”
When asked if he was certain Gary was one of Bennell’s victims, he replied: “One hundred per cent. Well, 99.9%, yeah.”
EVIDENCE
Another of Gary’s former team-mates said: “I saw Gary come and go in Barry’s life… If you ask me, Gary will have suffered abuse at the hands of Barry.”
But a statement issued on behalf of Gary’s family said: “We would like the following points to be made quite clear.
“Gary was interviewed on two occasions by police during their investigations into Bennell. On both occasions Gary made it quite clear he did not know anything about Bennell’s alleged behaviour and made it clear Bennell had never behaved inappropriately towards him.
“The police have made clear that they were satisfied that there was no reason to link the Bennell investigation to Gary. The prosecution made clear at the trial ‘there was no evidence called at any of the inquests suggesting that [his] death was linked to Bennell’.”
The programme claimed Gary was one of four men coached by Bennell who lost their lives to drink, drugs and suicide, including Man United’s Alan
Davies. BARRY Bennell’s victims have told how their lives were destroyed by the pervert as he preyed on innocent youngsters. The former youth players have been tormented for decades by their horrific experiences at the hands of the vile ex-coach. And after he was convicted of 43 child sex assaults and rapes yesterday, they accused football chiefs of turning a blind eye to the abuse. Former Crewe player Micky Fallon, who was coached by Bennell, said: “We were little boys with a dream and our innocence was shattered. Our dreams turned into the