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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dave Higgens

Adam Johnson: 15-year-old girl was 'excited' after sexual encounter, friend tells court

A teenage girl has told a jury how her best friend was "excited" after she had a sexual encounter with England footballer Adam Johnson in his car.

Johnson's trial was shown a video-recorded police interview in which the teenager described how she was with her friend before she went to meet the 28-year-old former Sunderland winger in his Range Rover in January last year.

Johnson has admitted grooming the girl's friend and has pleaded guilty to sexual activity with the same girl, who was 15 at the time, relating to kissing in his car.

But the footballer denies two further charges of sexual activity with the same girl, which prosecutors have described as "more serious".

In the police interview played to the jury at Bradford Crown Court, the teenager said she met her friend again after she got out of Johnson's car.

She told the officer her friend was "more excited - not excited for something, just excited - in a good mood, really".

The teenager said: "I asked her if anything had happened as I'd seen messages before asking for a bit of a feel."

She then explained how her friend described a sex act that had allegedly taken place between her and Johnson.

Adam Johnson and his girlfriend Stacey Flounders arrive at Bradford Crown Court on February 12, 2016

"She seemed excited about it at first but she started to realise what she'd done because he had a girlfriend," she said.

The girl's friend has already told the court how Johnson was her favourite player and she started communicating with him over WhatsApp in December 2014.

She said she met up with Johnson twice - on January 17 and 30 last year.

This girl has told the jury that she kissed the player on the second occasion and also described more serious sexual activity.

In her police interview, her best friend told the officer how, at first, she did not believe her friend "because he's a footballer, he's famous and she's only 15".

Adam Johnson

But she explained how she changed her mind after a seeing a message Johnson sent to her friend which said: "Just wanted to get your pants off".

The girl told the officer: "That's why I know something had happened between them for definite."

The trial continues

PA

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