Paedophile former Crewe Alex FC youth coach, Barry Bennell, died in HMP Littlehey, aged 69, on Saturday 16 September, five years into his 34-year sentence.

Also known as Richard Jones, Bennell was first employed by Crewe manager, Dario Gradi, to work for the club as a youth coach in 1987, remaining employed until 1992.

In 1994, Bennell was first jailed in Florida for raping a 14-year-old British boy on a football tour in America.

Also known as Richard Jones, Barry Bennell was first employed by Crewe Alexandra manager, Dario Gradi, to work for the club as a youth coach in 1987, remainign employed until 1992 (Ryan Parker).

Bennell returned to the UK where his offences were exposed by the 1997 Channel 4 Dispatches film Soccer's Foul Play.

The former Manchester City and Stoke City youth coach was then jailed for nine years after admitting to 23 offences.

Bennell was jailed for two more years in 2015 when he admitted to enticing a child to commit an act of gross indecency in the 1980s.

In 2018, Bennell was jailed for 30 years after being convicted of 50 child sexual offences against 12 boys he coached between 1979 and 1991.

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During sentencing, Judge Clement Goldstone QC, said: "Your behaviour towards these boys in grooming and seducing them before subjecting them to, in some cases, the most most serious, degrading and humiliating abuse was sheer evil.

"In reality, you were the devil incarnate. You stole their childhoods and their innocence to satisfy your own perversion."

In 2020, Bennell was given an additional four years after pleading guilty to nine sexual offences, including six counts of indecent assault against two boys.

These offences occurred between 1979 and 1988, when the victims were aged between 11 and 14.

Bennell died at HMP Littlehey, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, with his death publicly announced on Monday 18 September.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Prisoner Barry Bennell died at HMP Littlehey on 16 September 2023.

"As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate."

Bennell died at HMP Littlehey, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Saturday 16 September, with his death publicly announced on Monday 18 September (Wikimedia Commons).

Bennell was being treated for cancer for a number of years, with this reportedly the cause of his death.

He had operations to remove tumours from his tongue in 2004 and 2016, although he was said to be in remission in 2020.

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