Victims of Barry Bennell, the former football coach who was labeled "sheer evil" after subjecting junior footballers from Man City and Crewe Alexandra to hundreds of sexual offenses, "welcomed the rejection of his appeal against his 30-year prison sentence," according to Ben Quinn of the London GUARDIAN. The sentence imposed in February at Liverpool Crown Court for 52 offenses committed against a dozen boys between '79 and '91 was upheld on Wednesday by three judges at the High Court in London, who "echoed the original ruling's damning description" of Bennell as the "devil incarnate." Bennell, who changed his name to Richard Jones, appeared by video link as he listened to Lady Justice Hallett announce his sentence could not be described as being "manifestly excessive or wrong in principle." She said, "This was a campaign, or several campaigns, of rape on a huge scale" (GUARDIAN, 6/20).
'VERY DISTURBED': The BBC reported a former Southampton youth manager "raised concerns about allegations of sexual assault against a club coach," a court heard. Dave Merrington told a jury Bob Higgins had been the subject of "banter of a sexual nature" among youth players. Merrington, who later became first team manager, said that the coach resigned "days after the issue was raised." Higgins, 65, denies 50 counts of indecent assault against teenage boys between '71 and '96 (BBC, 6/19).
