The grandfather of footballer Jesse Lingard has passed away while awaiting a retrial for alleged child sex offences.
Details of the Case
Kenneth Lingard, 87, stood trial at Liverpool Crown Court last year, accused of sexually abusing a girl from the age of five. The jury cleared him of two counts of indecent assault but could not reach verdicts on the remaining 15 counts, which can now be reported.
At a hearing on Monday, Benjamin Aina KC, prosecuting, stated: "On June 10 this year, Kenneth Lingard passed away and a death certificate has been produced."
Background of the Allegations
Lingard, of Northway, Warrington, had been scheduled to face a retrial in May, but it was postponed to next year after the court learned he was in hospital. The first trial heard that the historic allegations were reported to police by the complainant in November 2022, following the release of a documentary in which Jesse Lingard spoke about his grandfather's positive influence on his career.
The jury was told that the woman messaged the midfielder after the programme aired, saying: "Shame on you Jesse Lingard. Loads of lies. Your grandad Kenneth Lingard molested and sexually abused me and you know he did."
Jesse Lingard's Involvement
The former Manchester United and England player flew to the UK from South Korea, where he was playing for FC Seoul, to give evidence in his grandfather's defence last April. The footballer, who now plays for Brazilian team Corinthians, denied any prior knowledge of the alleged abuse, telling the court: "If I knew any of these allegations, I'd have cut ties with him years ago."
Kenneth Lingard, a former gymnastics coach and powerlifter, maintained that the assaults "never happened."
Legal Outcome
Addressing the court on Monday, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "In the circumstances of this case, having seen the evidence which shows the death of the defendant on June 10 this year, any existing indictments no longer have any legal effect unless the court is shown otherwise."
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