Disgraced ex-Celtic youth coach died alone in jail with multiple health conditions

A court was informed today that a paedophile Celtic youth football coach, who had mistreated young players for

decades, passed away alone in a maximum security prison from a brain tumour, dementia, and a number of other

health issues. On November 19, 2022, at 4:00 am, staff members conducting routine checks at Glenochil Prison in

Clackmannanshire discovered the body of James McCafferty, 76, who was also employed at Falkirk and Hibs.

McCafferty was described as “in very poor health” at a fatal accident inquiry held at Falkirk Sheriff Court. The

deceased had multiple hospital admissions for sepsis, was suffering from mild to severe dementia, required daily

nursing care, and needed a wheelchair or Zimmer to get around. He also had a frontal lobe brain tumour, a type of

benign brain cancer.

He was certified DNR by a GP who determined that receiving intensive care was not in his best interests. According

to a postmortem, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was the cause of death.

Disgraced McCafferty was found guilty in 2019 of a series of sex attacks on Celtic players between 1972 and 1996 at

the High Court in Edinburgh. While coaching football at Celtic Boys Football Club and Celtic Football Club, he

entered a guilty plea to six counts of indecent assault, four counts of indecently assaulting children, lewd and

libidinous practices and behaviour against boys as young as eleven, and breach of the peace.

While others were attacked at motels, practise sites, and his car, one of his victims was attacked at Celtic Park. “You

took advantage of your position of trust as a football coach to groom and then sexually abuse boys who played for

your teams,” judge Lord Beckett told him, sending him to prison for six years and nine months.

“You were skilled at figuring out the situations of various boys so that you could use them, and sometimes their

parents, as leverage in a number of ways. Everything that was done was done to help you abuse children sexually.

It was his second conviction; in 2018, he admitted to eight counts of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in

Northern Ireland between 2012 and 2015 and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. A year prior

to his demise, McCafferty was moved from HMP Addiewell in West Lothian to Glenochil Prison, according to the

fatal accident inquiry.

He required two-hourly checks and daily nursing. The investigation head’s death was inevitable.

“The Crown has not identified any systematic failures in the management of care of Mr. McCafferty during his time

at HMP Glenochil nor during his time under the care of the Forth Valley Health Board, in prison, or at the Forth

Valley Royal Hospital,” Procurator Fiscal Depute Alastair MacLeod said to the probe.