Lingard 'knew nothing of claims against grandad'

Lingard 'knew nothing of claims against grandad'

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PA Media Jesse Lingard has flown back to the UK from South Korea to give evidence

Footballer Jesse Lingard has told his grandfather's sexual assault trial he would have "cut ties" with him if he had been aware of any allegations. The former Manchester United and England player flew in from South Korea, where plays for FC Seoul, to appear at Liverpool Crown Court as a defence witness in the trial of Kenneth Lingard. The court has heard the woman made allegations to police after a 2022 documentary in which the 32-year-old footballer spoke about his grandfather's positive influence. His 86-year-old grandfather, of Northway, Warrington, Cheshire, is accused of historical offences against a woman when she was as young as five, which he denies.

The footballer told the court the woman contacted him after the documentary came out. He said: "She was just going on about the documentary and how I let him be part of it when he's done those things. "I was like 'what are you on about, I have not heard nothing about this'." He said the woman told him she was going to call the police. He added: "I said 'call them if you want'. "She popped up out of nowhere, to be honest. It was kind of random." In messages to the footballer, the woman said: "Shame on you Jesse Lingard. Loads of lies. Your grandad Kenneth Lingard molested and sexually abused me and you know he did."

PA Media Jesse Lingard says his grandfather taught him his football skills and was "the man that's got me here today"

The player told the court he had not known anything about the allegations before. He said: "I would have cut ties with him straight away. "My daughter wouldn't be round there. My little sister wouldn't be round there." Asked by Tom Price KC, defending, if he would lie on behalf of his grandfather, Jesse Lingard said: "No, never. If I knew any of these allegations I'd have cut ties with him years ago." Asked why he made the Channel 4 documentary, called Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story, he said: "I made it for mental health reasons and just to show my family, show people how footballers live. "At the end of the day, we're all human. To share that footage and to have my family in it was amazing." The midfielder, who scored a goal in his match in South Korea's K League 1 on Saturday, said he arrived in the UK on Monday night. Asked if the trial had caused him any difficulties, he said: "A few sponsorship deals in Korea have fell through. I've had to hold off on some more sponsorship deals in Korea at the moment." He told the court he had lived with his grandparents from the age of two or three and his grandfather was very supportive with his career. He said: "He basically taught me football, taught all the skills, drove me up and down motorways from Liverpool to Manchester, Crewe, Barnsley, Stoke, to watch me play football. "He's been the man that's got me here today." Mr Lingard, denies 17 counts of indecent assault. The trial continues.

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