Canoeing coach convicted of sex abuse

A FORMER Irish Olympic canoeing coach was convicted yesterday of sexually abusing a young female athlete for nearly eight years.

Father of two Keith Francis Burns (64) showed no emotion, while his daughter wept, as he was unanimously convicted of seven of nine charges of indecently assaulting the girl from the age of 13 to 19 between 1994 and 2002.

Burns, who had "categorically, absolutely" denied the charges, will be sentenced next month. He has already been placed on the sex offenders' register.

Burns, from Silverhill, Enniskillen, was taped by the girl, now 25, and her parents in a local bar confessing to "four or five serious offences", and had done "things which should not have happened".

The former Olympic canoeing coach, who was also a member of the Irish Olympic and Northern Ireland Sports Councils, also told them he "despised" himself and "didn't deserve any sympathy".

During his trial he claimed he was "set up - ambushed" by the girl and her parents, and that he was "confused and stressed" when confronted by them. He further claimed his taped confession was a misunderstanding.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times