In short:
A long-time gymnastics coach has received a fine and no conviction after pleading guilty to assaulting two female teenage athletes.
asserted
coach → receive → athletes
Jamie Glen Cannon faced four charges of common assault.
asserted
Cannon → face → assault
The court heard there was no sexual intent in the offending.
asserted
court → hear → offending
Cannon was given a single fine of $2,500 and ordered to pay each teenager $1,000 in compensation.
asserted
Cannon → give → compensation
No conviction was recorded.
asserted
conviction → record → ?
A gymnastics coach with more than 30 years' experience has avoided conviction and instead been ordered to pay a fine after assaulting two teenage female athletes.
asserted
coach → avoid → athletes
Over the length of his career, Jamie Glen Cannon, 49, has trained athletes at clubs on the Sunshine Coast, in Cairns, and at Brisbane Grammar School.
asserted
Cannon → train → School
Mr Cannon was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court last week, after pleading guilty to four charges of common assault against the two teen gymnasts, each aged between 13 and 16.
asserted
each → sentence → 13
Coach touched athletes
asserted
Coach → touch → athletes
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark described Cannon's behaviour as "a breach of trust, both professional and personal" and tendered an agreed statement of facts about the offending.
asserted
Stark → describe → offending
The court heard Cannon was a senior coach at a Sunshine Coast club when the incidents occurred in 2022 and 2023.
asserted
incidents → hear → 2022
One of the assault charges related to Cannon smacking the bottom of a 13-year-old as she performed handstands with other gymnasts at the club.
asserted
she → relate → club
Three more offences occurred at the same club, involving Cannon touching and rubbing the inner thigh of a second athlete, aged 15 at the time.
asserted
Cannon → occur → time
The court heard that in one interaction, Cannon asked the teenager if she wore make-up, told her she was pretty, then put his hand on her inner thigh.
asserted
she → hear → thigh
In another, he asked if he could touch the teenager's leggings, and before she could respond, he put his hand on her knee.
uncertain
he → ask → knee
The fourth charge involved Cannon approaching the 15-year-old as she prepared to coach a class, standing in between her legs before placing his hands on her knees and rubbing her thighs as she attempted to move away.
asserted
she → involve → thighs
The court heard it was accepted that Cannon's behaviour had "no sexual intent".
asserted
behaviour → hear → intent
Gymnast left the sport she loved
The 15-year-old athlete's victim impact statement was read to the court at his sentencing by Mr Stark.
asserted
statement → leave → Stark
The teenager wrote that the offending led to her "quitting gymnastics entirely".
asserted
her → write → gymnastics
She described problems falling asleep and how it damaged "many friendships", particularly at the gymnastics club.
asserted
it → describe → club
"[It] affected the development of a romantic relationship with partners due to fear and sensitivity to certain actions and situations," Mr Stark read to the court.
asserted
Stark → affect → court
Mr Stark said there was a "vulnerability" in the situation because the teenagers were under his supervision.
asserted
teenagers → say → supervision
He said both teenagers had been clear about their boundaries to Cannon, including the request not to be touched.
asserted
teenagers → say → request
"It was really that sense of breach of trust that was at the heart of the impact for both of them,"he said.
asserted
that → say → them,"he
Cannon declined to be interviewed by police.
asserted
Cannon → decline → police
The court heard he has not been involved with the sport since being charged.
asserted
he → hear → sport
Decades as a top coach
Cannon's lawyer Ambyr Cousen described how her client had been involved with the sport for 30 years both as an employee and as a volunteer, including as a committee member with Gymnastics Queensland (GQ).
"He has won a number of awards for peer service within that industry," Ms Cousen told the court.
asserted
Cousen → describe → court
Cannon was working with Brisbane Grammar School as a senior coach in 2019 when he received GQ's Individual Service Award for his service to gymnastics in Queensland.
asserted
he → work → Queensland
He also spent more than a decade leading GQ's Men's Artistic Gymnastics Sport Committee.
asserted
He → spend → Committee
Ms Cousen also supplied the court with several character references for her client.
asserted
Cousen → supply → client
Court accepts 'no sexual intent'
asserted
Court → accept → intent
Cannon provided a written apology to the court for his actions, and offered to pay $1,000 to each of the victims as compensation.
asserted
Cannon → provide → compensation
In sentencing, Judge Amanda McDonnell told Cannon he treated "these young, vulnerable girls in a way that they didn't wish to be touched".
asserted
they → tell → way
"I have no doubt that they looked up to you for guidance," Judge McDonnell said.
"
asserted
McDonnell → have → guidance
I accept that there was no sexual intent, but that you acted in an overly-familiar way."
asserted
you → accept → way
Cannon was ordered to pay a single fine of $2,500 for the four offences, plus the promised compensation.
asserted
Cannon → order → offences
No conviction was recorded.
asserted
conviction → record → ?
The Aporia