- Hall of Fame inductee fighting allegations
- Barry Cable, 80, allegedly offended in the 1960s
- Faced Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday
Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable will fight child sexual crime allegations dating back to the 1960s.
The 80-year-old has been charged with five counts of indecent dealing with a girl aged under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13.
The offences are alleged to have happened between January 1, 1967 and April 27, 1968.
Barry Cable (pictured right, in sunglasses with red tie) appeared at Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday after being charged with seven serious alleged crimes
The disgraced North Melbourne legend (pictured in 2012) was found guilty of abusing a girl for five years in a civil trial held last year
Cable, who is on bail, appeared briefly in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday where he entered not guilty pleas to all the charges.
The former North Melbourne player only spoke to confirm his name and enter his pleas after being charged by police last Friday.
Cable wore dark sunglasses as he arrived at court with his lawyer Tom Percy KC and didn’t respond to questions from media other than to say someone named Sam had visited his home and ‘he was talking about the footy and how North was going’.
A civil trial in the District Court of Western Australia last year found Cable abused a girl over five years from 1968 when she was aged 12.
The former Kangaroo has been stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours
Judge Mark Herron said there was also compelling evidence the former footballer, who has denied all allegations, had violated other children.
The woman was awarded $818,700 in damages but expected to receive ‘zero’ compensation because Cable had been declared bankrupt, her lawyer said.
Cable was later stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours following an illustrious playing career in the 1960s and ’70s for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues.
He is scheduled to reappear in the Magistrates Court on August 8.
