Andrew Sherry, a founding member of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), was accused of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 16 in the 1980s, and of four counts of sexual assaults on an older teenager in 2011 or 2012.
Sherry, a ninth dan black belt, established the Red Triangle karate club in Everton, Liverpool, and gained ‘prominence and standing’ in the sport, before retiring in March 2022 following a police investigation.
A trial at Liverpool Crown Court also heard he had allegedly propositioned two other male students in the 1990s.
On Friday, the 80-year-old was unanimously found guilty by a jury of all five counts.
His defence barrister claimed the allegations were the result of a conspiracy by other practitioners who wanted to “overthrow their leader”.
One complainant said he had given up a promising career in karate as a result of Sherry.
He said the sensei had asked him for ‘special favours’ when he was aged between 12 and 16, in the mid-1980s.
His instructor had then taken him to Knowsley Safari Park where he spoke about monkeys having sex, he said.
The man, who said he was groomed by Sherry, told the court: ‘He said ‘I’ll give you money, you’ll come to all the sporting events with me, you’ll stay with me, you won’t want for nothing, any clothes you want, anything you want. I’ll teach you how to become the best”.’
Under cross-examination by Tania Griffiths KC, defending, he denied his aim was to ‘bring down the KUGB’ and that he was working in collusion with others.
The second complainant, who was 18 at the time of the assaults, said Sherry massaged him on the buttocks and kissed him on the lips on more than one occasion.
He described Sherry asking if he could ‘hold’ him and putting his arms around him.
The man said: ‘I accepted this because Andrew Sherry was my instructor and it was a case of if he said “jump”, I said “how high?”’
He also said on one occasion Sherry asked if he wanted to join him in the bedroom and was ‘visibly disappointed’ when they did not have sex.
One of them told the court: ‘He was an inspirational teacher to me. He was my hero.’
Sherry was released on bail as he was informed he will be sentenced on May 1.
Adjourning the case for a pre-sentence report, Judge David Swinnerton told him: ‘I have heard quite a lot about your karate career but I need to get more background information about you.’
Andrew Sherry, a champion in karate, was seen as a 'hero' by the people he taught.
Sherry was granted bail as he was told he will be sentenced on May 1.
Adjourning the case for a pre-sentence report, Judge David Swinnerton told him: ‘I have heard quite a lot about your karate career but I need to get more background information about you.’
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