Barry Bennell victims stare him in the eyes as ‘devil incarnate’ sentenced to 31 years
SERIAL paedophile Barry Bennell has been senteed to 31 years for a string of sex offences spanning more than a decade.
Bennell victim: I spoke about abuse for first time last year
Victims of the former football coach stared him in the eye as he was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court today and there were cries of “yes” from the public gallery as the sentence was passed.
Jailing Bennell, Judge Clement Goldstone QC described him as "the devil incarnate” who had stolen the childhoods and innocence of his victims.
He told the 64-year-old sex offender he "may well die in prison".
Several of Bennell's victims faced him from the witness stand and told of their continued anguish and heartbreak years after being abused.
One victim was stopped from approaching the sex offender in the dock while another described how they were unable to go a day without thinking about the abuse they were subjected to.
Speaking outside the court after the sentence, victim Micky Fallon said: “We welcome the sentence handed down today. It reflects the severity and the seriousness of the crimes he has committed as well as the pain and distress that he has put us through for all of our lives.
“But today marks an important milestone, we can now move on with our lives, safe in the knowledge that our abuser is locked away and can no longer cause us any harm.
"Today, we looked evil in the face. and we smiled because Barry Bennell we have won. “Today we hand our shame, guilt and sadness back to you, it should never have been ours to carry in the first place.“
Victim Gary Cliffe, a police officer, said: “If any more survivors want to come forward and unlock the suffering, please do so, the hurt is not yours to carry, it is his.”
A third described Bennell as "a monster who thought it was fun to use me as a sex toy".
Bennell was found guilty of 50 sex offences after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, including serious sexual assaults and indecent assault.
He will be released on licence after serving 30 years of the 31 year term.
Bennell has already served three jail terms – one in the United States – since 1995 for similar offences involving 16 separate victims.
The former Crewe Alexandra coach looked at the floor as his victims read out impact statements and showed no reaction as he was taken down by officers.
At the sentencing hearing this afternoon, one victim approached the dock after reading an impact statement to the court and said "Barry. Barry. Why?"
He was stopped from getting close to the dock by a court usher and asked to return to his seat by the judge.
Another victim, who read an impact statement to the court, said: "Not a day goes by without thinking about the abuse I received. I was just a child."
Sentencing Bennell, Judge Goldstone said: "Your behaviour towards these boys in grooming and seducing them before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse was sheer evil."
He said Bennell had appeared to his victims as a God but added: "In reality, you were the devil incarnate.
"You stole their childhoods and their innocence to satisfy your own perversion."
He had appeared via video link for his five-and-a-half week trial because of health reasons because he needs to be regularly fed by tube after he developed oral cancer more than a decade ago.
He was transferred from HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes to Liverpool Crown Court to be sentenced today.
During his trial, Bennell was described as ”child molester on an industrial scale" who used his reputation as a top-level coach to abuse some of his victims between 1979 to 1991.
Complainants told how he had a “power hold” over them as they dreamed of becoming professional footballers.
Bennell was compared to the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, luring boys to his homes in the Peak District where he had arcade games and exotic pets including a puma and a monkey.
He also abused them on trips away and in his car while on the way to and from football training.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on 43 counts of abuse against 11 boys, involving offences of buggery, attempted buggery and indecent assault.
Before the trial started last month, Bennell pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent assault involving three boys, two of whom were part of the trial.
The defendant, who has changed his name to Richard Jones, told police he admitted having a “grooming process” and being attracted to teenage boys.
But he denied most of the allegations and said complainants were “jumping on the bandwagon” following publicity sparked by one of his previous victims, Andy Woodward, waiving his anonymity to give media interviews in November 2016.