Top gym coach jailed for child abuse

Published on Thursday 15 October 2009 09:50

ONE of Scotland's top gym coaches has been jailed for three years for a series of sexual offences, committed over a period of more than 20 years, against young girls he was training.

Sheriff Frank Crowe told Mitchell Dolphin: "Such was your confidence and power you thought you could get away with these outrageous intrusions of the privacy of these young women".

The fifty-one year old, a former Performance Director of the Scottish Gymnastics Association, was found guilty last month after a five week trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of three charges of sexual assault and seven of lewd and libidinous behaviour against girls aged between six and 16.

The girls were all training at his Lo-Gy Centre in Loanhead between December 1986 and February 2008 – a 22 year period. The offences occurred in the gym; in Lasswade High School; his former home in Loanhead; his car; and a caravan at Seton Sands in East Lothian.

Sentence was deferred against Dolphin, who now lives in Newtongrange, for background reports until today.

His victims, some of them now in their late twenties and early thirties, described in their evidence how "Mitch" as he was called, would kiss and cuddle them, have them sit on his knee and make sexual and inappropriate remarks. He would also use inappropriate coaching techniques, touching their breasts and buttocks.

Dolphin, who denied all the allegations, claimed the girls often came and sat on his lap as part of the "family atmosphere" he was trying to create. He also said that cuddling young gymnasts as an encouragement or reward for a good performance was commonplace throughout the gymnastics world.

Defence agent, Vincent Belmonte, said Dolphin continued to deny culpability for the offences, but the jury's finding had already caused him considerable financial hardship. "He has lost his home, lost his employment. Lost a career he has been involved in for nearly 30 years at the highest level".

Sheriff Crowe told Dolphin his actions had cast a shadow over the good work being carried out at the Lo-Gy Centre by himself, his colleagues and the parent volunteers.

Sheriff Crowe added: "Having considered all the circumstances I am of the view that, despite the fact you have no previous convictions, a custodial sentence is the only possibility for this long course of conduct perpetrated against these young girls and women".

The relationship between a coach and those he was training depended on trust, said the Sheriff. "It is vital that for the parent and child it does not become compromised by the coach taking advantage for his own sexual gratification".

As Sheriff Crowe sentenced Dolphin to a total of three years imprisonment, placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period and referred the case to ministers to prevent him being in a position to take advantage of young people, some of the parents and victims hugged each other and wept. As Dolphin was led to the cells, those in the packed court shouted "Bye".

Outside the courtroom, the father of one of the victims said: "It just shows his arrogance, sitting there shaking his head the whole time that the Sheriff was speaking to him. It is disgusting what he has done and now he has to pay for it. That is him banned from coaching and working with children, so that is a sentence to him as well because he doesn't know anything else".