Former Irish Olympic coach Keith Francis Burns, from Silverhill in Enniskillen has been convicted, at Dungannon Crown Court, of sexually abusing a young female athlete he was training.
It took the jury of eight women and four men just under three hours to find Burns guilty of seven of the nine charges of indecent assault he faced.
He was acquitted on two charges of indecently assaulting the girl between 1994 and 1995, when the girl was aged about twelve. Burns had pleaded 'not guilty' to all nine charges.
Sixty-four year old Burns sat impassively in the dock as the foreman of the jury read out the unanimous verdict shortly before 5.30pm last Thursday.
As they did so, the defendant's daughter cried, while the complainant's mother walked quietly out of the courtroom.
The jury found Burns guilty of indecently assaulting a female, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on dates unknown between 21st May 1995 and 21st May 2002 from when the girl was aged about 13 years of age.
The indecent assaults consisted of inappropriate touching and inappropriate conversations between the injured party and the defendant.
The jury heard evidence that the sexual abuse was carried out under the pretence of being part of the young athlete's training regime, with 'body fat tests' being carried out on the injured party by the defendant from when she was aged about 13.
Evidence was given that, among the normal neck, hips and waist measurements, the defendant, on a number of occasions, measured around the girl's bust. These tests took place while the two were alone in Burns' bedroom and while the injured party was wearing only her underwear.
Evidence was also heard that, to get more accurate measurements, the defendant persuaded the young girl to take off her clothes, with her taking either her pants or her top off.
On one occasion, it was alleged, Burns persuaded the injured party to strip naked in front of him, telling her he was an 'admirer of the human form' and saying that there was nothing untoward about it.
The jury also heard of one occasion the defendant called to see the injured party, who was home from school sick.
On this occasion he carried out what he called a 'peripheral test' in which he stroked the young girl's thighs and touched her under her night-clothes.
The injured party gave evidence that Burns also discussed oral sex with her and told her if she ever wanted to try anything like that out he would be obliging.
Burns branded the girl's claims 'lies', and categorically denied there was a sexual motive in anything he did with the young athlete.
He told the jury his only misdemeanours were a number of thigh massages he gave the girl.
And, he accepted that, because he massaged the girl alone in his bedroom - although he left the door open - he had breached coaching protocol and had left himself open to potential allegations of sexual abuse.
The jury was told that, during a meeting between the injured party, her parents and Burns in an Enniskillen bar - which was secretly recorded - the defendant admitted 'to some serious offences'.
He told the family that, 'certain things happened that shouldn't have happened'.
Burns claimed he was 'distressed and confused' during this meeting, and that he thought the family were referring to the massages he gave the athlete for a sports injury.
The court heard Burns and the athlete had a 'special relationship' which went outside the boundaries of normal coach - athlete relationship in that the injured party would tell 'Burnsie' about her school or other problems.
The injured party said she trusted Burns and looked up to him as someone very knowledgeable.
This is why she didn't want to think there was anything wrong with how he behaved towards her.
Burns was remanded on continuing bail to be sentenced on 17th April in Downpatrick Crown Court by Judge McReynolds.
He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register immediately.
Judge McReynolds told the defendant the fact he was being released on continuing bail didn't pre-empt what sentence that would be handed down.
