Grandfather of Jesse Lingard dies while awaiting retrial | OneFootball

Kenneth Lingard, grandfather of footballer Jesse Lingard, has died aged 87 while awaiting a retrial over alleged child sex offences.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, prosecuting KC Benjamin Aina told a hearing on Monday that he died on 10 June and a death certificate had been produced.

He went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court last year, accused of sexually abusing a girl from the age of five. He was acquitted of two counts of indecent assault, but the jury could not reach verdicts on the remaining 15 counts.

A retrial had been listed for May, then was pushed back to next year after the court heard he was in hospital.

The first trial heard the complainant contacted police in November 2022 after a documentary in which Jesse Lingard spoke about his grandfather’s positive influence on his career. Jurors were told the woman later messaged the midfielder, alleging abuse and claiming he knew.

Jesse Lingard flew to the UK from South Korea, where he was playing for FC Seoul, to give evidence for the defence last April. Now with Brazilian side Corinthians, he told the court he had not known of any alleged abuse and said he would have cut ties if he had.

Kenneth Lingard, a former gymnastics coach and powerlifter from Northway, Warrington, denied the allegations, saying the assaults never happened. Judge Katherine Pierpoint told the court that, given proof of his death, any existing indictments have no legal effect unless shown otherwise.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com