Former coach Barry Bennell was ‘a child molester on an industrial scale’
0 Bennell was convicted of 36 counts of sex abuse Bennell is facing a fourth jail sentence after a jury convicted him of 36 counts of historical child sex abuse.
Bennell, 64, was found guilty yesterday of offences of buggery, attempted buggery and indecent assault against ten complainants between 1979 and 1990.
Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court have yet to reach verdicts on seven counts on the indictment against Bennell, including four counts involving an 11th complainant.
Complainants – former youth footballers coached by the defendant – and their family members were in tears in the public gallery as the jury foreman began to return the verdicts in a hushed courtroom.
Former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout Bennell appeared via videolink and could be seen speaking as the verdicts began to be read out.
The Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Clement Goldstone QC, told the jury he would accept verdicts which ten or more of them were agreed on in relation to the remaining seven counts.
He said: “We will, of course, invite you to endeavour to reach unanimous verdicts in relation to the remaining counts, but if you are unable to do so [we will accept] verdicts in which respect of ten of you agree.”
The jury, which has been deliberating for more than 19 hours since last Thursday, will resume their deliberations at 10:15am today.
During the trial, the court has heard Bennell compared to the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as he invited boys to his house where he had arcade games, a pool table, vidpaedophilefootballcoachbarry eos and exotic pets including a puma and a monkey.
In his closing speech, Nicholas Johnson QC, prosecuting, told jurors: “We suggest Mr Bennell is a child molester on an industrial scale and that’s why he went to these lengths to get so many lads round to his house.”
In transcripts of police interviews read in court, Bennell claimed the complainants were “jumping on the bandwagon” following publicity.