AFL great Barry Cable to fork out $800k after sexually abusing teen: court

Football great Barry Cable will be forced to fork out almost $1 million after a court found he sexually abused an underage woman.

Disgraced AFL great Barry Cable has been ordered by a court to pay more than $800,000 after he sexually abused an underage girl in Western Australia.

The former North Melbourne star appeared before Perth District Court on Friday on civil allegations he assaulted a teenager during the 1960-70s.

The woman, now aged in her 60s, was seeking $1 million in damages from the 79-year-old former Perth football club player and coach, including loss of income.

The allegations were subject to a police investigation in 1998; however, Cable has never been criminally charged and has denied the allegations.

On Friday, Judge Mark Edward Herron found in a civil judgment Cable had sexually abused the woman, beginning when she was aged 13.

The abuse started in late 1968 when Cable began speaking to the teenager suggestively, telling her he would be a “good coach for her”.

While in Cable’s carport, the then-24-year-old said he would teach the 13-year-old “so she would be a big hit with men”.

The court heard less than a year later, the victim was at Cable’s Gooseberry Hill home when he exposed his penis to her.

The abuse escalated over coming months with Cable groping the teenager and forcing her to masturbate him while in his car.

A similar event occurred while the pair were on the Zig Zag scenic drive near Gooseberry Hill in WA.

Disgraced AFL great Barry Cable has been ordered to may more than $800,000 after sexually abused an underage girl in Western Australia. Picture: 7 News

On August 2, 1971, Cable took the teenager to the Perth Football Club in Lathlain where he attempted to rape her, the court heard.

“Cable took the victim into the changerooms at the Perth Football Club and attempted to sexually penetrate her vagina with his penis having forcibly removed her underwear and forced her to lay on a bench,” Judge Herron said.

“When he was not able to penetrate her vagina with his penis, despite him persisting after the victim remonstrated with him and told him he was hurting her and wanted to leave, Cable then forced her to masturbate his penis.

“Afterwards, Cable drove her home, and she told him she hated what he was doing to her.

“Cable became enraged and hit her across her face causing her to suffer a split lip.

“He told her to never talk to him that way.”

That same year, Cable had also forced her to masturbate him in his car after the pair drove together to the offices of Channel 7 for an interview.

Cable also threatened to sexually abuse the teen’s younger sister if she did not comply with his instructions or “appreciate his attention”.

Judge Herron found the abuse had left a lasting impact on the woman’s mental health.

“In about October 1972, the victim left school,” Judge Herron told the court.

“She said she dropped out of school because she felt fat, dumb and revolting and felt she did not fit in.

“By about 1989 or 1990, she was also suffering nightmares about the child sexual abuse.”

Judge Herron ruled that the woman should be paid $818,700 in damages, including for loss of earnings and for medical expenses.

The judgment comes more than two years after the woman first launched the civil suite, with Cable’s identity previously supressed.

The court heard the former footy player had been largely absent from the trial, providing only an amended defence and some written submissions.

In his submission, Cable said: “For four years I have fought to clear my name.

“I was declared bankrupt only weeks before the trial commenced, after using all my savings, mortgaging my house, and selling my medals.

“I have had no defence in this critical time, and no ability to cross‑examine witnesses. The plaintiff knows this and continues to sue me for money I don’t have.

“I’ve had no choice but to remain silent during the trial. This is out of no disrespect to the court, but out of fear of being ambushed by the plaintiff’s lawyers.”

Perth District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Judge Herron told the court he could not accept those claims, nor many others made by Cable in his written submissions to the court.

Evidence from a further four witnesses – who claimed Cable had also abused them as children – was largely accepted, outlying further alleged sexual abuse.

Judge Herron said he was “positively satisfied” the evidence of the three witnesses was true and that the abuse spanning the early 1980s had occurred.

The decision comes amid mounting pressure on the AFL to remove Cable from its Hall of Fame, with the abuse taking place at the height of his career.

Lawyer Michael Magazanik told reporters outside court on Friday that Cable should be stripped of his honours, the ABC reported.

“If you sexually abused children in your spare time, if you molest kids in a spa in your backyard while you’re coaching an AFL team, then you’re not fit for the Hall of Fame or for any other honour,” he said.

“That’s not a controversial proposition. I think we can all agree that sexually assaulting children … disqualifies you from being worthy of respect or admiration.”