Woman ‘sexually abused by Jesse Lingard’s grandad’ accused star of hiding ‘darkish secret’
Kenneth Lingard, the grandfather of ex-Manchester United star Jesse, is on trial for a string of child sex offences relating to one woman who claims she was repeatedly abused for more than 10 years
Ex-England footie ace Jesse Lingard was accused of hiding a “dark secret” by a woman allegedly sexually abused by his grandfather, a court has heard.
Kenneth Lingard, 86, is said to have sexually assaulted the woman from the age of five until she was 19.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she told police after watching a Channel 4 documentary called The Jesse Lingard Story: UNTOLD in 2022.
The documentary featured the footballer and his family at their family home in Warrington, Cheshire, in which former the Manchester United player told of his grandfather’s influence on his career.
On Monday, Liverpool Crown Court was told she sent Jesse Lingard, who now plays for FC Seoul in South Korea, three messages on November 18, 2022, the day after the documentary aired.
In one, the woman said: “Shame on you Jesse Lingard. Loads of lies. Your grandad Kenneth Lingard molested and sexually abused me and you know he did. You did the documentary for money and to make yourself some kind of mental health ambassador. Well, as you say, I’m speaking out. No more silence.”
In another she referred to the footballer hiding a “dark” secret that his grandfather was a “paedophile” and “child molester”. She also referred to his late grandmother Pamela as an “enabler”.
When she received no reply, she messaged a friend of the footballer who he was on holiday with, the court heard. In the message, she said the former England player had “no right doing that documentary” when his grandfather had “molested” her for years.
She said: “F****** cheeky twat. Shame on you Jesse Lingard.”
The woman told the court that before sending the messages she had video-called the player. When he answered he was on a sun lounger and she believed he was in Dubai, she said.
She told the court: “I asked him why he’d done it. He didn’t answer and I said ‘why didn’t you tell me when you knew about the abuse?’ and again he didn’t answer.”
She told the court he mumbled and ended the call. She agreed she was “furious” at the time of sending the messages and was lashing out in anger. She said: “That is not what I would normally do.”
The court was played calls the complainant made to the police on the day the documentary came out. In a 999 call, she said: “How do I get somebody arrested for child abuse but historic child abuse?”
Cross-examining the complainant, who gave evidence from behind a screen, Tom Price KC, defending, said: “We absolutely refute any suggestion that any sexual abuse ever took place.”
Kenneth Lingard, of Warrington, watched proceedings over a videolink from home. He denies 17 counts of indecent assault. The case will continue on Tuesday.
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