Convicted rapist sacked from football club manager job after just three days
A football club manager has been sacked after three days in the job - after it emerged he is a convicted rapist. Samuel Wilson's contract was terminated within days of signing a two-year deal with the club concerned.
He joined semi-professional Warrington Rylands FC as a player in 2021 and last month took over the role of joint interim manager. After guiding the club to the Northern Premier League promotion play-offs on Saturday, he was given a two-year contract.
But earlier this week it emerged his contract was terminated by mutual consent and he confirmed this in a phone call with the BBC, Cheshire Live reports.
When he was 24, he was convicted of raping a young woman in a Manchester city centre flat. Rylands, which competes in the Northern Premier League at the seventh tier of English football, were approached for comment.
Cheshire Live states the club did not reply when asked by the BBC if his conviction related to his departure. Manchester Crown Court previously heard Wilson was 21 at the time of the sex attack.
He abused the woman after she went back with a friend of his to a rented Manchester city centre flat following a night out in May 2013. She had consensual sex with Wilson's friend.
Then Wilson, who had not even spoken to the woman, entered the room and then forced himself on her, the Manchester Evening News reported at the time.
She fled the apartment and immediately called police. Wilson was sentenced to five years in prison in September 2015. The judge at Manchester Crown Court ordered Wilson to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.
At the time, Det Con Sophie Swift, from GMP's Serious Sexual Offences Unit, praised the young woman for her courageous testimony. She said: "Wilson walked into that room and saw his friend having consensual sex with the woman.
"Without her consent, he then took advantage of the situation and raped her. I would like to applaud the bravery of the woman, who courageously relived her ordeal by giving evidence in court, which in itself can be very upsetting, and facing down her attacker.
"The jury did not believe Wilson's assertion the sex was consensual and found him guilty of rape. He will now serve five years in prison, which I hope sends out a message to others that if you do take advantage of a woman without her consent it is rape, and the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the courts will prosecute you."
In a statement Warrington Rylands FC said: "The club has tonight terminated the contract of manager, Sam Wilson, by mutual consent. No further comment will be made by the club."
Cheshire Live states it has approached the club for further comment.
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