Andy Sherry

Andy Sherry (born 9 July 1943) was a British martial artist. He was one of the most senior British practitioners of Karate and the retired chief instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Sherry was unanimously convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of five criminal offences of a sexual nature relating to two victims, and sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years. However he has since been cleared of all charges at the Court of Appeal in September 2025, and a retrial which took place on 30 October 2025 finding Sherry not guilty.

Karate Sherry was born on 8 July 1943, in Liverpool. As a child, he showed interest in martial arts. After initially training in Judo and Jujutsu, he soon took an interest in Karate, starting his study of the art in 1959. In 1966, Sherry became the first person to pass a grading in the UK for a black belt in Shotokan Karate, having trained with JKA instructor Keinosuke Enoeda. He graded alongside his Red Triangle clubmate Joseph Chialton on 10 February 1966, with Jack Green earning his black belt later that year. Sherry, alongside Jack Green and Eddie Whitcher were also the first to be graded 2nd Dan in the United Kingdom, gaining their grade in 1967 at Crystal Palace. He went on, in 1968, to become European champion in kumite, an achievement he repeated in a number of subsequent years. Sherry was released on unconditional bail ahead of a further case management hearing on 13 March 2023. His trial began on 4 March 2024.

Sherry was unanimously convicted and found to be guilty of all five counts by a jury on 22 March 2024. Sherry was granted bail to await sentencing on 1 May 2024. Sherry was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years following his sentencing on 1 May 2024.

Sherry was later cleared of all five charges relating to the former allegations, his legal representative has said "He's lost his good name, lost his reputation and lost his world standing."