'Evil' paedophile football coach from Milton Keynes dies in prison

A paedophile former football coach who lived on a Milton Keynes estate has died in prison five years in to his 30-year sentence.

Barry Bennell, who was 69, lived on Hodge Lea under the assumed name of Richard Jones before he was arrested for multiple charges of sexually abusing boys in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

He was a former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout who was first jailed in Florida in 1994 for raping a British boy on a football tour in America. He returned to Britain afterwards and was jailed again in 1998 and 2015 for child abuse.

In February 2016, neighbours on Hodge Lea were shocked when police raided his house, taking away his Golden Retriever called Sky and several cardboard boxes of items.

They described him as an “ill-looking” tall, slim man who always carried tissues into which he spat saliva, due to previously having mouth cancer.

He called himself a software specialist and went to car boot sales to purchase goods, which he then sold online on eBay and similar sites.

“He used to do laptop repairs and I would see him nearly every day but he was gone for nearly a year and his girlfriend had told me he’d gone to Devon to recuperate because he was ill,” said one neighbour.

In fact, Bennell had been serving a prison sentence for his sick crimes.

Following the 2016 raid on his house, there was another major police investigation into a string of historical offences. In February 2018, Bennell was jailed for 30 years after being convicted of more than 40 child sexual offences against 12 boys.

During the trial, his victims told how he had a powerful hold over them as they dreamed of becoming professional footballers.

Sentencing Bennell at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Clement Goldstone described him as 'sheer evil'.

After the trial, 80 other alleged victims came forward to report abuse at the hands of the former coach and another police investigation began.

Two years later, in 2020, Bennell appeared from his prison cell to face more charges. The court heard how he was responsible for "industrial sexual abuse of boys", as well as playing a key part in forging the careers of several international footballers.

A decision was made to proceed only with cases involving the most serious offences and Bennell was sentenced to a further four years in prison, making it unlikely that he would ever be released. It was his fifth conviction.

This week the Prison Service confirmed Bennell died at HMP Littlehey, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, on Saturday.

A spokesperson added: "As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."

The cause of death has not been disclosed, although Bennell was being treated for cancer for a number of years and previously had operations to remove tumours from his tongue.

The Offside Trust, an organisation set up by survivors of child sexual abuse in sport, has issued a statement saying: "We are thinking of all the brave survivors, those who felt they could speak out, and those who still cannot.

"We understand the issues this may trigger for survivors and are here for everyone should they need us. Please don't suffer in silence."