BEAST KILLED MYDADabusing
»»Football coach sexually abused teens for 20 years while working at top clubs »»Victim’s daughter says he struggled after attacks & drank himself to death
THE daughter of one of predator Jim McCafferty’s victims last night claimed he killed her dad. Annie Grant said John Gaffney drank himself to death. McCafferty was jailed yesterday for six years and nine months for
10 boys over 20 years.
victims and was abused aged 14 to 16.
He recalled how McCafferty would sit next to him on the minibus and touch his genitals over his clothes.
The victim spoke of his own ordeal at the Grand Central Hotel where McCafferty came into his room, got on top of him in bed, put his tongue in his mouth and kissed him while touching his genitals inside his clothes.
A fourth victim, aged 14 to 16 when he was preyed upon, died an alcoholic in his 50s and attributed his lifestyle to the horrors he endured. McCafferty would touch the boy’s genitals over his clothing on car journeys.
The victim later confided in a friend when he had a chance encounter with McCafferty after his football days were over and wet himself out of fright. He bravely reported the abuse to police in the mid-90s. A fifth victim was targeted between the ages of 11 and 19. He later died from “chronic alcohol consumption” while still in his 30s and said McCafferty’s abuse was the reason for his heavy drinking.
He was involved with a West Lothian team and was abused when he stayed at the monster’s house.
Another professional footballer who played for Celtic BC was among McCafferty’s victims. He was “routinely abused” aged 13 to 16. He told how he was often the last player on a minibus dropped off at home. McCafferty would reach to grab his genitals and make comments like, “Give us a kiss”.
On one occasion, he told the boy he couldn’t drive him home and checked them into a hotel, where he was abused.
A seventh boy was abused, aged 14 to 15, while playing for Wishaw BC in the 70s. McCafferty would grab his genitals in the showers.
Staying overnight at McCafferty’s home, the sick coach got into bed with him naked and started abusing him.
Another victim was abused aged 14 to 17 while playing for Fauldhouse Juniors in West Lothian, where McCafferty was manager. He told how McCafferty offered him work on his fruit and veg stall and got him to stay overnight at his Wishaw home, where the “terrified” youth was attacked.
A ninth victim suffered abuse aged 14 to 16 while at Netherdale FC in Motherwell, where McCafferty was a coach. While abusing him, McCafferty would say he was “only playing” and “having a bit of fun”. The court heard how that survivor contacted the Record in December 2016, sparking our probe which led to McCafferty’s shocking confession.
The judge was told how the tenth victim was aged 13 to 15 when he was sexually abused. He was at Celtic BC and helped McCafferty with the kit at Celtic Park. In the first of a number of attacks, McCafferty asked him in the kit room if he “pulled his plonker” then put his hand into his shorts.
Shelagh McCall QC, defending, said unmarried McCafferty was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison due to his age and poor health. She said he wished to apologise to his victims and their families “for what it’s worth”.
Sentencing him, Lord Beckett told McCafferty: “You took advantage of your position of trust as a football coach to groom and then sexually abuse boys who played for your teams.
“You were adept at identifying the circumstances of different boys so that you could manipulate them and, in some cases, their parents. All of this was done to facilitate your sexually abusing children.
“Careers did not reach their full potential, some were cut short and lives have been seriously blighted. Many of those that you abused have suffered from enduring anxiety and depression caused by what you did.”
McCafferty was jailed for three years and nine months last August for abusing a teenage boy in Belfast, where he has more recently lived.
McCafferty, who uses a walker, was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
A FORMER kitman for Celtic, Hibs and Falkirk was yesterday jailed for six years and nine months for sexually abusing young footballers over two decades.
Youth coach Jim McCafferty was revealed as a serial abuser more than two years ago following a confession when confronted by the Daily Record.
Yesterday, the 73-year-old pled guilty to preying on 10 youngsters between 1972 and 1996. The youngest victim was 11.
The pervert admitted a sickening catalogue of abuse against boys, including inside Celtic’s stadium, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Judge Lord Beckett said the vile attacks had badly impacted the victims, ruining or shortening sporting careers, and leaving some suffering from anxiety, depression and alcoholism.
McCafferty, originally from Wishaw, was a coach and manager at various boys’ clubs in West Lothian and Lanarkshire.
He later worked with Celtic Boys Club and Celtic FC, where he was the “kitman” to the Parkhead side’s first team. He held other roles with its youth teams.
Jo McDonald, prosecuting, told how McCafferty used his positions at the clubs to “nurture his relationships” with the victims, “ultimately leading to their abuse”.
She said McCafferty had a “reputation as being intimidating, loud, aggressive and strict” and he was “physically intimidating in his height and stature”. Many victims were “scared” of him.
Ms McDonald added: “Although he was overpowering, there was also a sense that he was respected as an experienced coach who was jovial, larger than life and appeared to be liked by other coaches and parents.
“His football experience as a past player and coach impressed the boys and their parents and he was an influential figure.
“The combination of his influential position, his position of trust, and his ability to intimidate made an impact on the boys and created the circumstances which enabled him to carry out a campaign of sexual abuse.”
As part of his grooming, McCafferty would give boys gifts, take them to professional matches or out for meals.
He would “flatter” them over their football talent and potential, and win their parents’ permission for them to stay overnight at his house. The judge was told none of the victims’ parents were suspicious of McCafferty’s behaviour.
McCafferty admitted abusing one boy when he was aged 14 to 18 who he met while managing Armadale Thistle BC in West Lothian. He encouraged the boy to take a shower then got in himself to abuse him.
He abused the youngster on other occasions in the showers and while driving him to watch matches.
It happened so often, the court was told the victim found it “difficult to recollect the exact number of occasions”. The boy was left “terrified” when McCafferty persuaded his parents to let him stay over. He spent a number of nights with McCafferty and was abused each time. Another boy was targeted between the ages of 15 and 17 while playing for Celtic BC and later signing schoolboy forms with Celtic FC.
He described how McCafferty would slap boys on the buttocks, grab their genitals and make sexual comments. He told of an incident at Glasgow’s Grand Central Station Hotel after a Celtic FC Christmas dance.
McCafferty came into his room, pushed him on to the bed, straddled him and started kissing his cheek.
A former professional footballer, who played for Celtic BC and had a trial for the senior side, was among the other
Careers did not reach potential and lives have been blighted LORD BECKETT ON EFFECT OF CRIMES