From tennis prodigy to coach to paedophile
IF you didn't know her history, you might easily have thought Claire Lyte was one of the best tennis coaches in the UK.
To her young wards at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) training academy, she was attentive, friendly, and got along fabulously with them.
She also played the role of mentor, friend and surrogate mother to many of her young charges.
But she grew especially close to one of her 13-year-old female pupils.
They were so close that the two were once seen sharing a toilet cubicle. They also shared hotel rooms when she played matches away.
TRUTH REVEALED
It was only a year later that the truth emerged - the pupil's mother found out that two were having a lesbian affair after she discovered them naked in bed together.
Earlier this month, Lyte, 29, was convicted of having a sexual relationship with a child.
Details of the sordid affair, such as revelations that Lyte had worn her protege's pink underwear, made headlines in the British press during the two-and-a-half week trial, which ended on 18 Oct.
A Liverpool Crown Court heard that Lyte, herself a former tennis prodigy who played at Wimbledon, was appointed as a coach to the prestigious LTA academy in Loughborough in 2002, reported the Daily Mail.
And she was so good at her job that she was named LTA's young coach of the year.
It was at the academy that she developed a reputation for being close with her students.
Lyte testified that she had a special connection with her students because she could relate to what it was like being a young tennis talent looking to turn professional.
But she took her relationship with one student too far.
Her victim, who was once regarded as one of the most promising tennis players of her generation, was described as a troubled teen who had a stormy relationship with her mother.
The court heard that the girl began spending a lot of time with Lyte both on and off the courts because she hated going home when students were released on the weekends.
In 2005, Lyte began accompanying the girl to tennis tournaments when the girl's mother was too busy to do so.
Their closeness was soon noticed by LTA officials, who were uncomfortable that the two were blurring the lines between coach and student.
Making matters worse was the fact that the two often shared hotel rooms when travelling to out-of-town competitions.
Lyte was eventually issued a stern warning after she was spotted sharing a toilet cubicle with the girl.
But it had little effect.
SHARED CLOTHES
She continued her close relationship with the girl and soon took to wearing her clothes, including her underwear, and adopting similar hairstyles and mannerisms, reported The Times.
The girl, smitten by the attention, reciprocated by sending Lyte intimate text messages.
Things came to a head in October2005, when Lyte accompanied the girl home after a match when her mother was not home.
The girl recalled for the police how she had gone for a shower and returned to her bedroom to find her coach waiting for her.
She said that Lyte undressed her, then herself, before they kissed and started making out.
The couple was caught red-handed by the girl's mother, who had come home early from a party.
The woman told the court: 'I went into the sitting room and noticed there was a newspaper on the table which I don't buy. I then went upstairs and saw two pairs of tennis shoes outside my daughter's bedroom.
'I walked into the room and saw my daughter and Claire naked on the bed.
'I was in complete shock and I screamed and they became aware that I was there. My daughter jumped up and ran off and Claire pulled the bedsheet over her head.
'I was screaming at Claire, 'Get out. What have you done? What have you done to my child, you are nothing but a paedophile.' I kept asking why. I couldn't believe what I had seen.'
Prosecutor Peter Davies told the court that an argument ensued between Lyte and the mother, during which the coach said that 'she cared for her daughter and loved her'.
Despite the encounter, the mother not only allowed Lyte to spend the night, but also let her continue coaching her daughter.
It was only 10 months later that the mother lodged a complaint with the police.
The girl, now 15, later described being threatened into doing what her coach demanded because of the power that she wielded over her career.
During the trial, Lyte disputed the girl's account of what happened and accused her of being a liar and a fantasist.
Lyte claimed that the intimate text messages represented a one-sided infatuation and her wearing of the girl's underwear was an honest mistake.
She also claimed that the allegations were made up by the mother because she was angry that her daughter's career was faltering.
But the jury didn't buy Lyte's version of the story, and she was found guilty on four charges of unlawful sexual activity.
Judge Nigel Gilmour said: 'In attempting to escape conviction, you alleged that three generations of the victim's family were all part of a wicked conspiracy to get you convicted of crimes you hadn't committed.
WICKED ALLEGATIONS
'The jury rejected those wicked allegations of yours.'
Lyte was sentenced on Friday to two years and nine months in jail.
She was also banned indefinitely from working with children.
The case is said to have embarrassed the LTA, which has been forced to restructure its youth academy programme such that players at an impressionable age can now stay at home while they attend one of 14centres around the country.
Despite the verdict, Lyte's father, Colin, insists that she is innocent.
'I know my daughter. I know Claire is innocent,' he said.
'This has ruined her life. She is brilliant and had a glittering career in front of her. All that has gone now.'
Lyte's lawyer, Ms Margaret Coall, said that her client would be appealing the decision.
source:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...46828,00.html? 
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