Jurors urged to convict former youth football coach who "used his position" to carry out "systematic abuse"

The jury in the trial of a former youth football coach has been invited to convict him of “systematic abuse”.

Jim Torbett, 71, is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of abusing three boys in his care.

Advocate depute Sheena Fraser, prosecuting the case said “This case is not about Celtic Boys' Club, it's not about football”.

She said it is about allegations of “systematic abuse” carried out by Torbett who “used his position as a manager” to abuse the boys and “extended” that to a third boy who was in his business premises.

Mrs Fraser said there similarities between the accounts of three men who claim they were abused, including that they are all sexual in nature.

Torbett from Kelvindale, Glasgow denies abusing three boys between August 1986 and August 1994.

Two men were youth players with the boys' club although one tragically died last year and police officers read out statements he gave before his death, as evidence.

A third man claimed he was abused on occasions as a five-year-old when he visited the Trophy Centre at Shawbridge Street in the city, owned by Torbett.

Mrs Fraser addressed the jury first and asked them to view the evidence given by Torbett as “neither credible nor reliable”.

She touched on evidence jurors heard during the trial about the allegations made by the three men including evidence from a 46-year-old man who claimed Torbett frequently abused him.

Jurors heard the man say it became normal and he was “numb” while being abused.

Mrs Fraser mentioned an excerpt from a statement of the 41-year-old man who died, that was read by police and detailed allegations of repeated abuse by Torbett.

She said: “He didn't want his dad to think he was less of a man.”

The court was also told that the 36-year-old man who alleged he was abused at the Trophy Centre was not at the boys' club and there are “significant similarities” that would lead jurors to decide it was a “similar course of conduct”.

In closing her speech she suggested if jurors found the witnesses credible and reliable they will find “a distinct pattern of behaviour demonstrating a clear course of conduct of offending against these men when they were young boys”.

And, that it was a “clear course of conduct systematically pursued by Jim Torbett against them”.

She invited them to find Torbett guilty of the charges.

Defence QC Tony Graham asked the jury to acquit him and said “I submit if you were to return a verdict of guilty in relation to Jim Torbett, on Christmas day it might be something you regret.”

He put to the jury that Torbett “naively put himself in a position of vulnerability for the good of others”.

Mr Graham asked them to consider that the prosecution have not proven the charges against Torbett.

He branded a part of the 46-year-old's evidence as “fanciful” and mentioned text messages that the man had sent Torbett as an adult, after hearing about allegations.

He read some of the messages that included “You will always have a place in my heart until my last breath, you always tried to make me a better person” and “Thinking about you, big man, stay positive.”

Mr Graham also said it “demonstrates the liar he is" that he trusted Torbett to be his child's godfather.

Jurors were also told the evidence of the other two men “doesn't make sense”.

He said Torbett had “the courage to go in and answer his accusers” and allow himself to be cross-examined by the prosecutor.

Torbett denies the charges and the trial before judge Lord Beckett continues.