A lawyer withdrew from acting for a youth football and swimming coach who admitted indecently assaulting young boys after his client refused to accept responsibility for the offences to social workers.
Solicitor Matthew O’Neill told Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday that 67-year-old Robert Russell’s comments to social workers “left me in a difficult position”.
Sentence had been deferred for a background report.
But Mr O’Neill told Sheriff Margaret Neilson: “When he met the author of the report he has indicated that he does not accept responsibility for the offences to which he pleaded guilty.
“I have discussed this with him and his position remains the same. Therefore I find myself in the regrettable position of having to withdraw from acting for him.”
Sheriff Neilson called for another report and “strongly advised” Mr Russell to seek new legal representation.
Last month, the court was told that Russell lured young boys into his hostel bedroom and indecently assaulted them.
It wasn’t until Russell contacted one of his victims, who had since grown up, offering to act as a soccer scout for his two sons that police became involved.
The court heard that the father was “furious” when he received the letter, recalling the abuse he suffered at the hands of Russell. He then reported him to the police.
Russell, of Cooper Street, Elgin, admitted a sexual assault on one teenager, and indecently assaulting three others.
The offences were said to have taken place between August 1977 and August, 1984.
Fiscal depute Alison McKenzie told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that Russell was a registered coach with the Scottish Youth Football Association and a swimming instructor.
At the time of the offences, Russell was teaching swimming at Dingwall Sports Centre as well as being a community education officer with Highland Council.
The court heard he stayed in a hostel flat in Dingwall where three of his victims were assaulted.
One boy was staying at the hostel when Russell fondled and carried out a sex act on him as he got ready for bed.
Two other boys who lived outside Dingwall were invited to stay in his hostel flat where he groped their buttocks or genitals or tried to grope them.
The other offence took place in the swimming pool area where he molested the same boy “so frequently he could not remember the number of occasions”, said Mrs McKenzie.
Russell was yesterday told to return to court on August 2.
