Ex-Celtic kit man admits child sex offences

A FORMER Celtic kitman yesterday pleaded guilty to a series of child sex offences.

James McCafferty, 72, initially denied the offences and was due to stand trial at Belfast Crown Court to face eight charges of sexually assaulting a boy under the age of 16.

But before the trial started, defence barrister Patrick Taylor asked that the charges be put to his client again.

The 72-year-old from Wishaw, Lanarkshire, who appeared in court using a walking stick, replied, ‘Guilty, your honour,’ to the first charge and accepted the seven other charges.

No details of the offences, which took place between December 2012 and December 2015, or the defendant or complainant,

Sentencing due next month

emerged during the brief hearing.

Mr Taylor asked Judge Patricia Smyth to allow time for the completion of a pre-sentence report, telling the court that medical reports on his client have already been completed.

The judge told McCafferty that, in light of his plea, he was now required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register, with the length of time to be determined at a later date.

She told him this meant he is banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

The pensioner was remanded back into custody and is due to be sentenced next month.

After a previous court appearance, he asked to be held in custody for his own safety.

McCafferty, who was also a kitman at Hibernian and Falkirk, was arrested in December 2016 after giving an interview to a newspaper.

He previously stayed in Glasgow but now lives in Belfast.