'Lenient' sentence for paedophile Easterhouse football coach criticised

A victim of a paedophile football coach in Glasgow jailed for 20 months has slammed the sentence as “too lenient”.

69-year-old Robert Smith abused boys between nine and 15-years-old while he was trusted as a football coach in Easterhouse.

His youngest victim who wanted to be a professional footballer gave up his dream and sports altogether after being attacked by Smith.

Four of his victims found the courage to go to the police after seeing it had been reported in June 2016 that Smith was jailed for abusing three boys he coached between 1978 and 1987.

One man was so angry when he read that Smith had denied the allegations and accused the victims of lying that he went to the police.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Smith, from Maryhill, pled guilty to four charges of using lewd and libidinous practices and two charges of indecent assault, between April 1965 and August 1984 at his Easterhouse home and a local school.

On Friday, Sheriff Daniel Scullion jailed Smith for 20 months and put him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

He said: “Your conduct has had in a number of cases and continues to have, a considerable negative impact on the lives of those against whom you offended.”

One of Smith’s victims who was in court to see him jailed said he thought the sentence wasn’t harsh enough.

Speaking afterwards he said: “I think it’s too lenient, he should have been at the High Court.

“The last few years have been awful because I’ve been worrying about having to come to court and give evidence.

“It’s affected my whole life and my family life - I was frightened of men for years.”

In 2016 Smith was given a 27 month sentence with 11 months supervision on his release.

The court heard in 1965, a nine year old boy who “loved football” and “hoped to become a professional player” began training.

Smith invited the boy to his home, to discuss football, and took him to his bedroom where Smith sat on a chair which was just inside the door, stopping anyone coming into the bedroom.

He massaged the child and inappropriately touched him.

Procurator fiscal depute Niall Macdonald added: “After a short time Smith let the boy go and let him leave. The boy saw Smith as an authority figure that he trusted so he didn’t tell anyone what happened.”

On another occasion Smith also exposed himself to the child - who wanted to leave his house.

Mr Macdonald said: “The boy then said to Smith that he was going to tell his father, however, Smith told him that no one would believe him.

“The boy left and never told anyone. He also never went to football training thereafter or participated in other organised sports.”

Years later when he told his wife and family about his ordeal and his daughter found the earlier news story about Smith, he reported him to the police.

In 1973, a 13-year-old boy was poached by Smith to play for a new team he was setting up in the area.

He became a favourite of Smith’s and was invited with others in the team out for dinner or shopping when Smith would buy them things.

One evening he invited the teenager and a friend round for a sleepover and “told the boys to tell their parents they were staying at one another’s houses”.

After falling asleep, the boy woke up to find Smith performing a sex act on him and immediately fled home.

He later challenged Smith about what happened who “made excuses”.

Mr Macdonald said: “The complainer continued to go to training and played in the next game the following week.

“At half time Smith pulled the boy off the park despite him playing well and scoring.

“At the next training session Smith took him aside and told him things weren’t working and to pack his things. The complainer was devastated and crying as he left.”

Around 1979 Smith targeted a local boy and offered to let him pick from spare football gear that he had in his flat.

The boy - then 10-years-old - now believes that Smith knew the family were poor and would be happy to accept handouts.

The "young and scared" child, went two or three times a month to Smith's house where he was abused.

Smith also let the boy and his friends into the sports hall at a local school to play football.

He abused the child on a number of occasions over three years at his house and at the school before his victim realised “what he was doing to him wasn’t acceptable”.

Years later he told his ex-wife what happened as he was feeling suicidal, and later told his partner and his sister.

He saw a story on the news about paedophiles in Scottish football and recognised Smith, and was encouraged to report what happened to him.

In 1980, a shocked 11-year-old told Smith to stop as he carried out a sex attack at a training session, while on an exercise bike.

Mr Macdonald said: “Smith became really angry and shouted at him to start cycling. He stood back and watched and had the boy cycling for about 20 minutes.”

The child left the football team shortly after this.

Defence lawyer Alan Gravelle earlier invited the court to accept the offences were part of a “course of conduct” that related to Smith’s earlier conviction.