Paedophile coach loses appeal to cut jail sentence
PAEDOPHILE football coach Barry Bennell has lost a challenge against his 30-year prison sentence for child sex offences.
Three Court of Appeal judges in London ruled yesterday that the length of his jail term for multiple offences against boys he coached was not excessive.
The former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in February for 52 offences committed against 12 boys he coached between 1979 and 1991.
Bennell’s appeal was listed under his new name, Richard Jones, and was heard by Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Stuart-Smith and Mr Justice Choudhury.
Dismissing his challenge, Lady Justice Hallett said that because of the “huge scale” of his offending it would be “wrong” for the court to interfere with the sentence.
His prison term could not be described as “manifestly excessive or wrong in principle”.
During his six-week trial, Bennell, 64, was said to have committed “industrial scale” levels of abuse against vulnerable prepubescent boys in his care.
Complainants told how he had a “power hold” over them as they dreamed of becoming professional footballers.
Labelling him “the devil incarnate”, Judge Clement Goldstone QC told him he would serve half of the 30-year term in custody with the rest on licence.
He was also ordered to serve an additional licence period of one year.
Judge Goldstone said Bennell’s abuse had destroyed the enthusiasm his victims had for playing football and had led to them suffering problems including suicidal thoughts, alcoholism and depression.
He had previously served three jail terms, totalling 15 years, for similar offences involving 16 other victims.
Former Manchester City youth player Gary Cliffe, 47, one of Bennell’s victims who waived his right to anonymity, said after the Court of Appeal ruling: “It is the right decision.
“The big thing is there are other lads waiting for justice and I hope that now the police can get on with interviewing Bennell and charging him.
“If any good comes of this, the message needs to go out and others need to know it is going to be dealt with seriously and you’re going to get serious jail.”
After he was sentenced in February, Steve Walters, a former Rhyl and Airbus footballer who was abused by Bennell, spoke on the steps of Liverpool Crown Court.
He said: “For years, hundreds of us were groomed in plain view. Lavished with gifts and designer sports kit and taken on trips all around the world.
“How can it be that no one realised something was wrong? How is it that no one protected us then?”