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By ANDY RUSSELL Published: 17:26 BST, 16 April 2025 | Updated: 17:26 BST, 16 April 2025
The grandfather of football star Jesse Lingard said that claims of historic child sex abuse’ made me out to be an ogre’, a court heard today.Kenneth Lingard, 86, denied the complainant’s allegation that he had conducted a 15 year campaign of abuse when she was between five and 19-years-old.The pensioner, a former railway worker, told Liverpool crown court that he had heard that the complainant had been telling friends about her claims against him.He told the jury: ‘She was making me out to be an ogre.’Prosecutor Benjamin Aina, KC, told him: ‘That is because you had been sexually molesting her.’Lingard replied: ‘No, you are wrong,she is wrong.’Mr Aina detailed specific alleged attacks, which the prosecution claim happened between 1970 and 1985, and Lingard said: ‘No, no, no no.’The footballer’s grandfather, hailed as a major influence on the former Manchester United and England striker’s career, said the alleged incidents ‘ never happened.’ Kenneth Lingard, 86, who told a court that claims of historic child sex abuse ‘made me out to be an ogre’ Kenneth – the grandfather of football star Jesse Lingard (pictured) – has denied allegations that he conducted a 15 year campaign of abuse when she was between five and 19-years-oldLingard, who came into court with the aid of a walking stick, said that he had helped to bring up Jesse Lingard from the age of four because the footballer’s mother ‘could not cope.’He said he noticed ‘pretty quick ‘ that Jesse had footballing abilities and started to help train him.Lingard told the jury: ‘I noticed that he was developing pretty quick considering he was only a child – a baby.’A friend who had a son at Liverpool said he would put a word in for our Jesse and we went to a satellite centre in Warrington.’After training on the first night, the manager came up to me and said ‘ where have you been keeping him?’ That was the start of his career. Other clubs came in for him – Man City, Man United.’When we were told to make a decision I left it to him and he said “Man United”.’He left us when he was 14. When he got established he went to one of the club’s houses so he could be nearer the club for training. ‘He came home every weekend and stayed with us.’ Kenneth Lingard, the grandfather of former Manchester United footballer Jesse Lingard, arrives at Liverpool CrownLingard agreed that he had been confronted over the allegations by the complainant’s ex husband.He said: ‘He came round one particular day and knocked on the door. He said ‘ is there anything that is true about what she is saying you have done to her ? ‘ . I said ‘ no, should I get a solicitor?’He said “that will do for me.” ‘Lingard denies 17 counts of indecent assault.The trial will resume on Tuesday.
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Woman who accused Jesse Lingard’s grandfather of historic child sex abuse is ‘making him out to be an ogre’, he tells court
