Former coach jailed over abuse of boys
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A SHERIFF told a football and swimming coach he had abused the trust of young men and boys in his care when he was jailed for sexually assaulting them at a hostel in Dingwall in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Robert Russell (68) preyed on the boys while employed as a swimming instructor at Dingwall Sports Centre and in his role as a community education officer.
Russell, now of Cooper Street in Elgin, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four boys between the ages of 15 and 18.
The offences took place at the Mackay Hostel in Tulloch Castle Drive in Dingwall which had been used to house boys from remote rural communities attending school in the area.
One of his victims attended Dingwall Academy when he was between 12 and 16 years of age and he was allowed to compete at football and judo and he was being supervised by Russell.
Depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart said between 1977 and 1979 when the boy was aged between 15 and 16 he was being trained in lifeguard skills by Russell and during one of these sessions he placed his hand on the boy’s penis over his trunks.
The boy told no-one but years later, as a father of two boys, he received a letter from Russell offering to act as a football scout for the boys.
He was furious, said the fiscal, and this triggered a statement of complaint to the police.
The second victim was 16 when he was given a glass of whisky by Russell who then put his hand inside his pyjama bottoms and sexually assaulted him.
"The complainer’s reaction was shock, he ‘just froze’; he was sexually inexperienced and confused. The complainer fled the room and returned to his dorm where other boys were already asleep. He told no one."
In 1983 Russell’s third victim, an 18-year-old, was given permission to stay in Russell’s accommodation because it was outwith term time.
One evening when he was drunk Russell grabbed the teenager on his buttocks over his kilt.
But later Russell exposed himself to the youth who later told his younger brother when he was about to start at Dingwall Academy. Then he gave a statement to police. Another pupil was 18 when permission was granted for him to stay at Russell’s accommodation at the hostel. Russell came in and put his hand under the teenager’s bedclothes but he grabbed his wrist and tried to push him away. Russell persisted but eventually gave up and left the room.
Solicitor Alison Foggo said Russell, as well as being a paid employee, fulfilled many voluntary roles as a sports instructor and she said several people had provided testimonies to his work.
One described him as an "inspiring and generous man" and these testimonies presented a different side to his character.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood said despite his guilty pleas Russell maintained a position of complete denial to social workers.
Ms Foggo replied: "He was a heavy drinker and put forward this as a cause of his possible amnesia."
She said clearly he could no longer continue with his voluntary work which included a role as a groundsman.
She asked Sheriff Fleetwood to consider a non-custodial sentence but the sheriff said: "At the time of these offences you were in a trusted position as far as these young men and boys were concerned and you abused that trust in a flagrant way."
Russell was sentenced to nine months in jail.
