Barry Bennell: Footballer heard abused boy's cries, court told

Barry Bennell was jailed in 2018 for a string of child sexual abuse offences

A promising schoolboy footballer has told a judge how he heard a child crying for help while being abused by paedophile former coach Barry Bennell.

The man, who said he was also abused by Bennell, told how the boy pleaded "leave me alone Barry" during a stay at a Butlin's holiday camp decades ago.

He is one of eight men who have made damages claims against Manchester City asserting Bennell was a scout for the club when he abused them.

The club disputes the men's claims.

Mr Justice Johnson has heard the men, now in their 40s and 50s, were sexually and emotionally abused by Bennell between 1979 and 1985 and are suing the club after suffering psychiatric injuries.

Six are also claiming damages for loss of potential football earnings.

The court previously saw a card describing Bennell as Manchester City's 'North West Representative'

City has said Bennell had been a local scout in the mid-1970s but was not a scout between 1979 and 1985.

The High Court has heard Bennell worked as a resident football coach at a Butlin's holiday camp in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, four decades ago.

The man told the judge he recalled once being with Bennell at Butlin's and staying in the same room.

"He discovered another child and his family and used me as the decoy," he said.

"That night I was in a separate room and the other lad was with Bennell. All I could hear was cries for help. 'What are you doing Barry?, 'Leave me alone Barry'.

"As a young child you just cry," the man said.

Bennell is serving a 34-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexual offences against boys

The man said Bennell was "one of the best coaches" and added: "He was one of the most charismatic people I have ever met."

He told the judge as a young player he had attracted the interest of clubs including Manchester City and Arsenal but "lost his drive" after being abused by Bennell.

The High Court heard the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was claiming about £350,000 for loss of potential earnings.

He said the late Ken Barnes, chief scout at City in the 1970s and 1980s and a former player, had once told him he had the ability to go on to captain England.

The man told the judge how as a schoolboy he had trained at City, had trials at Arsenal, Brighton, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Burney, Blackburn, and played at Crewe, York, and Stockport.

He said he had offers from a range of clubs to sign schoolboy forms.

"They were very interested in me. There were lots of them," he said.

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However, the man said that "due to the abuse and confusion I felt, I lost confidence and lost my drive to succeed in football" and started drinking and using drugs.

The man told the judge Bennell had known he had a "hold over me".

Bennell is serving a 34-year prison sentence after being convicted of sexual offences against boys on five separate occasions, four in the UK and one in the US.

He is due to give evidence at the trial via video-link from prison later this month.

The trial continues.

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