Footballer Jesse Lingard’s grandfather has passed away while awaiting a retrial for multiple alleged child sex offenses. Kenneth Lingard, aged 87, faced accusations of sexually abusing a girl from the age of five during his trial at Liverpool Crown Court in 2025. Although he was acquitted of two counts of indecent assault, the jury could not reach verdicts on the remaining 15 charges.
During a hearing on June 15, Benjamin Aina KC, the prosecutor, disclosed that Kenneth Lingard had died on June 10 this year, presenting a death certificate as evidence. The 87-year-old, residing in Northway, Warrington, was set for a retrial in May, which was postponed to the following year due to his hospitalization.
The initial trial revealed that the historic allegations against the pensioner were reported to the police by the complainant in November 2022 after Jesse Lingard featured in a documentary praising his grandfather’s impact on his career. The woman messaged the midfielder after the program aired, accusing Kenneth Lingard of abuse.
Jesse Lingard, formerly with Manchester United and England, flew back from South Korea, where he played for FC Seoul, to testify in defense of his grandfather last April. Lingard, now a player for the Brazilian team Corinthians, refuted any knowledge of the alleged abuse, stating that he would have severed ties had he been aware of the accusations.
Addressing the court, Judge Katherine Pierpoint noted that with Kenneth Lingard’s passing on June 10, any existing indictments against him lost legal validity unless proven otherwise.