Penrith: Ex-gymnastics coach Daniel Gordon Benson successfully appeals prison sentence for sexually touching teen girl

A former Penrith gymnastics coach, who was jailed for abusing multiple students for more than a decade, has successfully overturned a prison sentence for sexually touching a teenage girl.

Daniel Gordon Benson has successfully overturned a prison sentence for sexually touching a child.

A former gymnastics coach, who was jailed for inappropriately touching multiple teenage girls he coached, has successfully overturned a prison sentence for inappropriately touching one of his students.

Daniel Gordon Benson, 58, faced Penrith District Court on Monday via video link from the Kirkconnell Correctional Centre where he appealed a prison sentence for sexually touching a teenage student at his gym.
The once well respected gym coach, who was NSW Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 2001, is currently serving an eight year, six month prison sentence with a non parole period of six years after he was convicted in 2023 of multiple charges relating to the decades-long abuse of other teenage students, some dating back as early as the 90s.

In a separate case, Benson pleaded guilty in the Penrith Local Court on December 12, 2024, to one charge of sexually touching a child, and was sentenced to two years behind bars with a parole release date of June 11, 2026.

Daniel Gordon Benson was named Coach of the Year by Gymnastics NSW in 2001.

During his appeal, the court was told in 2021 Benson was assisting a class when he placed one hand on a girl’s breast and another on her thigh while she was doing “half handstands” to warm up.

He held his hands there for a few seconds while staring at the girl.

The court was told this was inappropriate as a coach would tap on their students chest if necessary.

Benson helped the girl off the equipment with his hands on her thighs, just below her buttocks, and later asked her to do two handstands, but she refused.

The girl took a break from training and upon her return, Benson told her it was “nice” to see her back and “I missed you”.

Later, while the girl was doing a handstand, Benson placed one hand in the middle of her buttocks and the other on her arm.

Benson appeared in the Penrith District Court on Monday, February 24, where his prison sentence was quashed and replaced with a two-year intensive corrections order.

She then stopped the handstand and Benson told her “good job”.

The girl came forward after other allegations against Benson came to light.

Judge Graham Turnbull said Benson went to trial for two other, similar offences which occurred around the same time, and was convicted.

However, Judge Turnbull found a prison sentence was an excessive punishment for Benson, and upheld the sentence appeal.

The prison sentence was quashed and Benson was instead sentenced to a two-year community corrections order (CCO), starting from Monday, February 24.

It will expire on February 23, 2027.

Benson remains behind bars serving the other prison sentence and will be eligible for parole for in December 2027.