Teen groomed by footballer Adam Johnson admits she 'absolutely hates' him now

A schoolgirl at the centre of child sex charges against Adam Johnson has told jurors that she hates the footballer for what he has put her through.
The girl at the centre of the allegations says she hates Adam Johnson for what he's put her through.The girl at the centre of the allegations says she hates Adam Johnson for what he's put her through.
The girl at the centre of the allegations says she hates Adam Johnson for what he's put her through.

Orlando Pownall QC, defending Johnson at Bradford Crown Court, asked the girl whether she "absolutely hated" Johnson now.

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Speaking through tears via a video link to the court, she said: "Yes, I do, after everything he's put us through.

"He told everyone he was innocent and he made me out to be a liar. He let people cheer him on at matches and call me all the names under the sun."

The teenager sobbed uncontrollably as Johnson's barrister suggested that sexual acts had not taken place between the two of them.

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Johnson is charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child against the girl.

In her first police interview, the girl told officers that Johnson has sexually touched her.

In her second interview, she also said she performed a sex act on Johnson for three or four seconds.

Earlier in evidence, the girl admitted to jurors that she did not tell police about this particular act straight away because she was "trying to protect Johnson".

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Today in evidence, she said: "I am not lying about it. The one person who has lied through this is him."

Mr Pownall continued to say that when other people started to find out the girl was faced with an opportunity - whether she admitted she had made it all up, "or exaggerate and hope she would get sympathy".

"You have not told the truth," the barrister said.

The girl, crying, said: "He knows for a fine fact he did that to me. He has lied about the others for a year.

"I had thousands of people calling me a liar and saying I was a slag and a slut and a stupid little girl.

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"I was a stupid little girl. I was the only one trying to protect his career."

The court heard that after the girl had reported Johnson to the police, she liked a number of his teammate Connor Wickham's photographs on Instagram.

She also tagged a friend in one of his pictures, as she knew the friend fancied him.

On the night the girl confided in her father about what happened with Johnson, rumours had started to escalate on social media about what had gone on between them.

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The girl denied these claims to her friends in a move she insisted was to protect Johnson.

Mr Pownall put it to her that she was worried about what would be said the next day at school.

The girl said she felt "horrible, disgusted, upset and sorry" when she saw the messages talking about her.