by Annette Wilson

The founder of Canterbury Fencing Club has been convicted of sexual activity with a child when in a position of trust.

Paul Romang, 59, had earlier told a jury accusations that he sexually abused one of his pupils and was over-familiar with two others were completely untrue.

But, after a two-week trial, he has been convicted of sexual activity with a child when in a position of trust, by an 11 to one majority.

He was not in the dock to hear the verdict, having been taken ill, and was outside when the jury returned.

A Canterbury Crown Court jury were told Romang pulled down a teenage girl's lower clothing and rubbed her buttocks then massaged her breasts, but Romang said the incident never happened.

The prosecution said Romang, of Grange Way, Broadstairs, had a sexual interest in young girls and called evidence from two women in their 20s who had been coached by him while at school in Canterbury when they were 17.

Another young girl, at the centre of the allegations, said she was assaulted at 4am when he came into her room while she was staying at his home ready to set off early morning for an important competition.

She said she had locked her bedroom door because she was not sure of him and spoke of him constantly correcting her posture during fencing lessons claiming she was standing wrong and touching her shoulders and bottom.

He would try and hug and kiss her, bought her jewellery and said he had tickets for an Il Divo concert and spoke of going to Russia and on a Nile cruise.

Romang completely denied ever making inappropriate remarks towards any of his students and said he had been giving them presents throughout his 38 years of coaching.

He denied allegations from one of the adult witnesses that he had pulled over on a busy road in Canterbury and tried to kiss her and said he and his wife had sent her carnations, not roses, because traditionally boys at her school had sent girls carnations on Valentine's Day and she had not received any.

Paul Romang began fencing at 17 and by 21 had qualified as a fencing coach.

Adjourning sentence for reports, Judge Adele Williams said she did not rule out custody but that the pre-sentence report should consider all options.

He will be sentenced in November.