Gymnastics coach denies molesting boy
Jun 18, 2009 - 03:42 PM
By Jeff Mitchell
WHITBY -- A former Durham gymnastics coach standing trial in Whitby continues to deny he had any sexual contact with a young student.
During a number of testy exchanges Thursday with a prosecutor, Ray Collingham denied he'd molested the boy, and insisted again that e-mails being used as evidence in the case against him were either fabricated or altered.
Since taking the stand in his own defence Tuesday, Mr. Collingham, 39, has testified that a number of e-mails turned over to police by the alleged victim's mother were either created by the woman or intercepted and altered after she hacked into e-mail accounts. Some of the e-mails describe sexual encounters between Mr. Collingham and the boy.
During cross examination Wednesday, Crown counsel Mitchell Flagg challenged Mr. Collingham's testimony, suggesting he had written the messages.
"You know you wrote it and nobody else had anything to do with it," Mr. Flagg asserted. "You got caught because (the boy's mother) hacked into your e-mail."
"I didn't write those e-mails," Mr. Collingham maintained.
Reading from a series of messages, Mr. Flagg suggested they indicate Mr. Collingham, who in 2007 was in British Columbia, was still seeking contact with the boy, whose identity is protected by a court order.
"You were living 2,500 kilometres away and still dreaming about sexual relations with (the boy)," Mr. Flagg said.
"That's absolutely not true," Mr. Collingham shot back, his face reddened. "I've never had sexual relations with (the boy) and if you keep suggesting that, I'm going to keep saying that."
Earlier in this Superior Court trial, Justice David Salmers heard testimony from the alleged victim, who said he met Mr. Collingham when he was a 10-year-old aspiring gymnast. The boy, now 18, said they developed a bond that went beyond the gym and that over time Mr. Collingham made advances that began with touching and escalated to sex acts.
The boy and his mother shared residence with Mr. Collingham and his partner in Bowmanville and Newcastle, court heard.
The trial continues.
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