Barry Cable arrives at court for the verdict in his child sexual assault trial. (ABC News: David Weber)
Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable has been found not guilty of charges that he sexually abused a child in Perth in the 1960s.
WARNING: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing.
Mr Cable, 82, faced trial in the WA District Court in March, accused of sexual offences against a child who was aged nine or 10 at the time.
The court heard the girl, who had been living at an orphanage, had stayed at the home of Mr Cable and his wife in suburban Perth for a period of time, when the footballer was in his 20s.
District Court Judge Michael Bowden, who heard the trial without a jury, has found Mr Cable not guilty of all charges.
Mr Cable showed no reaction as he sat in the dock.
Barry Cable leaves court after the last day of his District Court trial on historical child sex offences. (ABC News: David Weber)
But while Judge Michael Bowden found Mr Cable not guilty, he said it was likely the alleged victim was telling the truth.
He said he had scrutinised her evidence "with great care bearing in mind the lengthy delay and the significant forensic disadvantages that the delay causes to Mr Cable".
The judge said there was a lack of independent supporting evidence.
"While I generally accept [her] evidence and have found that Mr Cable has the tendency alleged and I consider it more probable than not that she is telling the truth, I am not persuaded of guilt beyond reasonable doubt in respect of any count on the indictment," Judge Bowden's ruling read.
The alleged victim, now in her 60s, gave evidence to the court via video link, and described in detail what she alleged Mr Cable did.
She told the court she stayed in a room at the Cable home and that he would abuse her when his wife was asleep.
But the court was told she had claimed the house was in Scarborough, where the Cables never lived.
Wife's evidence
Barry Cable's wife Helen told the court the woman had never stayed any of their homes in suburban Perth.
Helen Cable leaves the court after giving evidence in the trial of her husband Barry. (ABC News: David Weber)
She said she did not know about the orphanage and did not visit her there.
A detective told the court there were no records to show that Mr Cable picked the girl up from the orphanage, or any evidence she was absent for a period of weeks at the relevant time.
Unusually for a criminal trial, other women who claimed they they had been sexually abused by Mr Cable when they were children gave evidence.
Mr Cable was not on trial for alleged offending against them.
One of those women had launched civil action against Mr Cable, which resulted in a judge finding in 2023 that he had abused her when she was a child.
Judge Mark Herron awarded her more than $800,000 in damages, but Mr Cable was bankrupt.
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