​Lawyers acting on behalf of a top athletics coach have dismissed claims he was “controlling and overbearing” when training an Olympic hopeful.

Instead Timothy Meakin, representing David Farrow at London’s High Court, insisted he was consistently “caring” towards his protege Richard Davenport.

Mr Meakin said Mr Davenport’s legal team had attributed a “drip drip of minor peccadilloes” to the Cheltenham coach, but insisted none of it held weight.

Accusations Mr Farrow had a domineering influence over the young athlete were “a non-point” and ultimately only served to undermine Mr Davenport’s own case, he added.

The athlete is suing his former coach for six-figure compensation, claiming he failed to heed his complaints about acute back pain in 2004 and 2005.

The 25-year-old hurdler from Littledean had by that time “demonstrated the potential to compete as an Olympic athlete“, the court has heard, having already smashed a UK record at the age of 18. But a diagnosis of stress fractures in his lower back in late 2005 led to a punishing series of operations which cast a shadow over his track career.

It is only over the last year he has managed to retrieve much of his previous athletic form and his lawyers say that, had his back problem been pinpointed and treated earlier, any major disruption to his career would have been avoided.

Mr Farrow denies all liability in the case, insisting he has no recollection of his charge complaining of serious back pain during the relevant period.

The coach insists he always acted in what he believed to be Mr Davenport’s best interests.

Yesterday, (Fri) in the closing stages of the case at London’s High Court, Mr Meakin insisted there was no tangible evidence of Mr Davenport complaining of worsening back pain in late 2004 or early 2005.

He said it “beggared belief” other sportsmen also being trained by Mr Farrow in close proximity to Mr Davenport would have been unaware of such serious problems.

He told Mr Justice Owen: “Not one of these witnesses said he was informed about Mr Davenport’s back issues at any time. When one puts that evidence into high focus it really undermines his case.”

After a week-long hearing of Mr Davenport’s damages claim, Mr Justice Owen yesterday reserved his decision in the case until a later date.