Former England footballer Jesse Lingard reportedly declined to provide a witness statement to the police during their investigation into sexual abuse allegations against his grandfather, as revealed in court.
Lingard, currently playing in South Korea, was contacted about claims that his 86-year-old grandfather, Kenneth Lingard, allegedly abused a victim over a 15-year period, starting when she was just five years old.
Investigating officer DC Scott Chambers informed the jurors that both former Manchester United player Lingard and his mother had chosen not to give statements.
Kenneth Lingard, from Warrington, Cheshire, denies 17 charges of indecent assault that allegedly occurred between 1970 and 1985.
The alleged victim came forward after watching a documentary on Channel 4 about Jesse Lingard`s rise to fame.
The woman, now 60 years old, stated that she reported Kenneth Lingard to the police because the documentary depicted him as a “hero” and she believed Jesse Lingard had told “many lies”.
Yesterday, the court heard testimony from the complainant`s second husband, who mentioned confronting Kenneth Lingard about the abuse allegations in the mid-1990s.
He recounted to the jury: “I confronted him about it – the abuse.”
“I remember him looking me straight in the eye and denying it.”
The man, who divorced the complainant after eleven years of marriage, also mentioned that she had attempted suicide during their relationship and received hospital treatment.
The jury was informed that Kenneth Lingard voluntarily participated in a police interview in January 2023, two months after the documentary aired, and denied all allegations.
He stated: “None of it happened.”
“My grandson cannot believe what she is saying.”
The trial is ongoing.
