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| Adam Johnson trial: Footballer 'made girl out to be a liar' | Adam Johnson trial: Footballer 'made girl out to be a liar' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A girl has told a jury former Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson "made her out to be a liar" following a sexual encounter in his car. | A girl has told a jury former Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson "made her out to be a liar" following a sexual encounter in his car. |
| Appearing via video-link, she told Bradford Crown Court about sex acts that allegedly took place in the winger's Range Rover when she was 15 years old. | Appearing via video-link, she told Bradford Crown Court about sex acts that allegedly took place in the winger's Range Rover when she was 15 years old. |
| Mr Johnson, 28, who has 12 England caps, is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child. | Mr Johnson, 28, who has 12 England caps, is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child. |
| The footballer denies the charges. | The footballer denies the charges. |
| The girl, now aged 16, told the court how she did not mention some of the more serious activity at first because she was trying to "protect the player". | |
| She was asked by Orlando Pownall QC, defending Mr Johnson, whether she was still trying to protect him. | |
| "No, because he did nothing to protect me and he made me out to be a liar," she said. | |
| 'Going to suffer' | |
| Speaking through tears for much of her exchange with Mr Pownall, the girl claimed she had been "bigging herself up" with some messages to friends on social media. | |
| She said: "When you idolise someone and that happens to you, you're not thinking at the time." | |
| The girl wiped away tears as she told the jury she never thought she would end up explaining herself in court. | |
| See more on this story and other news from across the North East here. | |
| Mr Pownall again asked the girl whether she was just trying to protect herself. | |
| She said: "I wasn't protecting myself. It made no difference to me whether they knew about me and Adam Johnson. It was him who was going to suffer for it." | |
| The girl insisted to the court she never wanted to get Mr Johnson into trouble. | |
| She said: "I didn't want that to happen to him. I saw myself as playing a part in it as well, I thought I'd done wrong too." | |
| The girl began sobbing again and asked for a break. | |
| Born in Sunderland, Mr Johnson began his career at Middlesbrough before moving to Manchester City and then on to Sunderland for £10m in 2012. | |
| The trial continues. | |
| The footballer has previously pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one charge of grooming. He was sacked by Sunderland as a result. |