Adam Johnson trial: Girl broke down in tears when she was questioned by defence

The girl broke down in tears and asked for a break when she was questioned over a video link by Orlando Pownall QC, defending, about why she had asked friends to lie about what happened.

The teenager could be seen sobbing on the screens in court about an hour into Mr Pownall's cross-examination.

Judge Jonathan Rose ordered a 10-minute break in proceedings.

Before the break, Mr Pownall had pressed her on why she had asked friends to lie for her and whether she had lied to the police about her use of mobile phones after the incident.

She said: "I wanted to keep him (Johnson) out of trouble. I didn't want to gethim in more trouble than he was."

And the teenager added: "I was scared that people wouldn't believe me."

She said: "I didn't want to believe that it had happened."

The teenager told the jury: "I tried to forget about it. I was trying to livenormally."

Just before the girl broke down, she told the barrister: "At the time I didn'trealise it was wrong. I didn't realise what had gone on was wrong."

An hour earlier, opening his cross-examination of the girl, Mr Pownall said toher: "It is accepted that you have been seriously wronged by Adam Johnson."

The teenager was in tears as she agreed with the barrister that his client had pleaded guilty to "sexual activity with you and of meeting you for the purpose of sexual activity following grooming".

Mr Pownall said: "What this jury had to decide is the extent of that sexualactivity which took place on 30th January last year."

Adam Johnson denies two charges of sexual activity with a child and the case at Bradford Crown continues.