Barry Cable: Disgraced AFL player once again stands trial over historical child sex abuse allegations

The complainant in Barry Cable’s criminal case has given shocking testimony alleging he tried to rape her “about three or four times” when she was a child back in the 1960s. The former Aussie Rules footballer, now aged 82, went on trial in the District Court of WA on Tuesday, charged with five counts of indecently dealing with a girl under 13 and two counts of carnal knowledge of a child under 13. The woman, now aged in her 60s, gave evidence via a remote room, accusing Mr Cable of repeatedly molesting her in his marital home over several weeks at some stage from 1967 through to 1969 when she was eight or nine. Mr Cable was in his early 20s at the time and at the height of his footballing prowess, winning WAFL and VFL premierships. The complainant said he was “loving” towards her at first then started fondling her when his wife Helen - who will be taking the stand in her husband’s defence - was asleep or not in the room. “He came to my room one night when Helen was asleep and took my nightie off and started touching me,” the woman said. “He ended up taking his shorts off and trying to have sex with me.” She said that he was unsuccessful, “then he just got off me ... called me useless and walked out the door”. The woman alleged he tried to rape her several more times in the loungeroom and even used a lotion that she later learned was petroleum jelly. Mr Cable also forced her to do vile things to him, she alleged. “He made me kneel in front of him,” she said of one occasion. “He told me that he loved me and this was how we showed each other love.” High-profile lawyer Tom Percy KC took aim at the complainant’s credibility, saying she had described the Cable household as being fancy, near the beach with a swimming pool and air conditioning. But at that time, the Cables lived in a modest, two-bedroom house on a semi-rural lot in Gosnells, with a former race horse outside, Mr Percy said. Under re-examination by prosecutor Kim Jennings, the woman said she left Perth when she was 18 after being moved around a lot in her youth and the coastal home she was recalling was in fact a family dwelling. Mr Percy accused the woman of being aware of a civil court case against his client before she complained to police in 2023, saying her claims were financially motivated. In that civil matter, Judge Mark Herron ruled that on the balance of probabilities, Mr Cable sexually abused five other children during the 1960s and 1970s. He awarded the lead plaintiff damages of more than $800,000 but Mr Cable did not pay a cent after declaring bankruptcy. The complainant in the current court case responded firmly to the suggestion that she “wanted to cash in”. “No I did not,” she said. Mr Percy said Helen Cable would tell the court that the child never came to stay at their household “for even one night”. The State is calling three other women who allege they were also sexually abused by Mr Cable when they were children, with at least one of them set to describe him talking about sex in “weekly lessons”. This evidence would show “a tendency of Barry Cable to be sexually attracted to young underage girls and to act upon that sexual interest”, Ms Jennings said. “He had an illustrious career … he was very well known and very well liked. But behind that spotlight there was a dark side,” she said. But Mr Percy labelled the allegations “completely untrue” and “fantasy”. “What we say is any analysis of the facts, which we can establish with certainty, will demonstrate there is simply no opportunity for these offences to have occurred as alleged,” he said. “We say timing will be the essence of coming to any factual finding.” Mr Cable was last year granted a judge-alone trial due to concerns he would not get a fair jury trial amid heavy media coverage of the case. The trial is before Judge Michael Bowden and set down for seven days but could finish early. His sons Shane and Barry Junior are watching on from the public gallery. Mr Cable was stripped of his Australian Football Hall of Fame honours after an illustrious career playing for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues. Sexual Assault Resource Centre 1800 199 888 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800