DALE STRAWBRIDGE FROM WEST HILL ESCAPES JAIL AFTER SEXUAL ABUSE OF GIRLS' FOOTBALL TEAM IN WEST COUNTRY TOWN

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the small community of West Hill, East Devon, a young football coach named Dale Strawbridge was found guilty of multiple sexual offences involving members of his under-16 girls' football team. Despite the gravity of the allegations, Strawbridge was spared a custodial sentence and instead received a three-year community order with supervision from the court.

According to court proceedings, Strawbridge, aged 20 at the time, engaged in inappropriate and manipulative conduct with at least three young girls, all aged 14 during the period of the offences in 2011. The prosecution outlined how Strawbridge exploited his position as a coach to establish personal contact with the girls after training sessions. He used details from club records to arrange dates, effectively blurring the boundaries of appropriate coach-athlete relationships.

Evidence presented in court revealed that Strawbridge took one of the victims for a ride in his car and subsequently groped her. Another girl was kissed by him in a crowded dance tent at a music festival, while a third was reportedly 'snogged' after he took her out on a movie date. These actions demonstrated a pattern of grooming and sexual misconduct that the court described as a gross abuse of trust.

Strawbridge was also accused of more serious charges, including allegations of having sex with a 14-year-old girl inside the club’s locked-up changing rooms. However, he was ultimately cleared of these three most serious charges. The prosecution argued that Strawbridge’s behaviour was motivated by sexual attraction and that he treated the girls as ‘his personal harem,’ a phrase used to describe the extent of his exploitation.

Throughout the trial, Strawbridge maintained his innocence, claiming he was the victim of a malicious whispering campaign that spread false rumours throughout the tight-knit West Country town. He denied encouraging any sexual contact with the girls and insisted that he was unaware of their true ages, despite the team sheet clearly indicating they were under 16.

Judge John Neligan delivered the sentence at Truro Crown Court, emphasizing the seriousness of the offences and the breach of trust involved. Prosecutor David Sapiecha highlighted the vulnerability of the young victims, stating, ‘These girls were liable to react to flattery and attention. This was a gross abuse of trust. There can be no question that he did not know how old they are. It was written on the team sheet. Under 16. He knew as a coach he should not have been doing this. The warning signs were there but he drove a coach and horses through the warnings and the rules. The motivation was sexual attraction. He treated these girls like they were his personal harem.’

Despite the conviction on four counts involving three girls, Strawbridge was spared imprisonment, with the court opting for a community-based sentence aimed at supervision and rehabilitation. The case has left a lasting impact on the local community, raising questions about safeguarding and the responsibilities of coaches working with minors in the West Country.