PETER FEELEY'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN MIDDLETON: GYM COACH SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN

In November 2018, the community of Middleton was rocked by revelations of severe misconduct involving local Thai boxing coach Peter Feeley. Known by the nickname ‘Mr Touchy-Feeley,’ Feeley was initially sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of a series of heinous sex crimes committed against minors. However, subsequent investigations uncovered additional disturbing offenses, leading to an extension of his incarceration.

It was during a routine review of his criminal activities that authorities discovered Feeley had molested two more young girls during the 1990s, when they were between the ages of ten and thirteen. These new victims came forward after concerns were raised in June of the previous year, when a gym member at Spartan Muay Thai gym in Middleton expressed discomfort over Feeley's inappropriate treatment of young girls at the facility. Prosecutor Hayley Bennett detailed to Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court that one of these girls, now an adult, recounted her long-standing relationship with Feeley, which began when she was around nine or ten years old.

She described how Feeley would engage in sexual touching, which she later identified as a 'regular thing' when she was approximately eleven or twelve. Her account included feelings of panic upon mistakenly believing she had become pregnant, highlighting the profound impact of Feeley's abuse. Police investigations also identified a second victim, who was molested by Feeley in the late 1990s, again between the ages of ten and thirteen. Now an adult, she revealed that Feeley provided her with private lessons but made her uncomfortable by initiating a 'tickling fight.' She also recalled that if she made a mistake during training, her punishment was to kiss Feeley, and she once shouted at him to get off her.

Judge Maurice Greene addressed the court, emphasizing the gravity of Feeley's actions. He stated, “Both these girls were girls who attended Thai boxing classes, you being the instructor.” The judge condemned Feeley's conduct, describing it as a targeted and systematic breach of trust. He characterized the abuse as 'systematic pre-meditated,' noting that Feeley groomed the victims through his involvement in the Thai boxing classes, which he used as a means to exploit them.

Feeley, residing on Spring Gardens in Middleton, pleaded guilty to multiple charges. He admitted to four counts of indecent assault against the girl molested in the late 1990s, as well as four counts of indecency with a child and four counts of indecent assault concerning the second victim, who was between eleven and twelve at the time. Throughout the proceedings, Feeley showed no visible emotion as he stood in the dock. The court was informed that an additional sentence of three years and four months would be added to his existing six-year term, making his total imprisonment longer.

The initial sentencing in 2017 revealed Feeley's role as a respected coach at Spartan Muay Thai gym in Middleton. It was during this period that he developed a relationship with a young girl, with whom he exchanged gifts and explicit photographs, referring to each other as ‘husband and wife.’ The girl went missing one night, prompting a frantic search by her parents and the police. She was eventually found the following morning, claiming she had run away and was wandering the streets. She later disclosed to police that she and Feeley had engaged in sexual activity three times at the gym and once at his house on the night she disappeared.

Authorities searched the gym premises, uncovering a hidden area in the roof space behind a red curtain, which contained a bed, empty alcohol cans, and bottles. A laptop and several secret cameras were also seized, revealing that Feeley had secretly filmed his sexual encounters with the girl without her knowledge. One of the videos showed Feeley smiling and giving a thumbs-up to the camera, which the judge at the time interpreted as a sign that Feeley regarded his actions as a joke.

Following his arrest, further investigations uncovered that Feeley had molested two additional schoolgirls. As a result of these findings, he was not only sentenced to an extended prison term but also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life. The case highlighted the disturbing pattern of grooming and exploitation carried out by Feeley, a man who had once been considered a respected figure within the local martial arts community in Middleton.