Tennis academy guru is accused of raping teenager

A tennis coach who has worked with hundreds of children has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting a girl over a period of three years.

Butch Heffernan, 46, has travelled the world playing tennis and coached legends such as Martina Navratilova and Bjorn Borg.

Along with his wife Angela, 51, he runs the Down Under tennis club in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, which includes an academy for gifted young players.

Yesterday the Australian, whose real name is Barry, appeared at Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court accused of five counts of rape and nine of sexual assault.

The offences were allegedly committed from September 2005 to May this year. The rape charges relate to a period after the girl involved had turned 16.

Heffernan was not asked to enter a plea. He stood expressionless in the dock in the sports clothing he was wearing when police arrested him at the tennis club early on Wednesday morning.

It is understood police acted when they did because he was due to set off for a tournament in Serbia with three young pupils.

The Down Under club is situated in a 'magnificent rural location' next door to Abbot's Hill independent girls' school.

Club literature states Heffernan, its tennis director and founder, has "travelled the world for 25 years playing, teaching and coaching tennis at every level".

"His students have been playing at Grand Slams since 1984 in addition to major world events including the Davis Cup, Federation Cup and the Olympics," it says.

The club offers an after-school programme and there is a fulltime academy for promising young players, with fees of up to £10,000 a year.

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Trips are also organised to overseas tournaments during which junior players and staff stay in hotels.

Heffernan married his wife two-and-a-half years ago. He is understood to have been married before and has a son.

Mrs Heffernan, who works for the QVC cable shopping channel, also has two sons from her previous marriage. The couple live in a £300,000 flat half a mile from the tennis club.

Mrs Heffernan is said to have first learned about the allegations facing her husband last Saturday. A meeting was arranged for staff the next day, at which Heffernan is said to have denied any wrongdoing.

Prior to his arrest, the girl making the accusations was interviewed by police.

Parents whose children use the club are said to have been 'shocked' by the allegations.

A source said yesterday: "The tennis club is very good and Heffernan is a brilliant coach. He is very motivated and has brought kids on amazingly. The training is very good indeed."

"A lot of the children are very upset and some were removed from the club at the beginning of the week."

In November 2001, Heffernan set a world record by completing a 52-hour tennis marathon to raise around £20,000 for America's emergency services.

Earlier this year he was branded a 'maverick' after vowing to appeal a decision not to allow him to build permanent tennis courts in place of an existing air dome at the club.

He said at the time: "With the worst Wimbledon results in the UK for 22 years, we need to be doing more to encourage the young to get involved in the sport and we need more good facilities to teach them."

Heffernan was remanded in custody and will appear before St Albans Crown Court on December 17.