Teenager tells Old Bailey she was "controlled" by men she had sex with (From The Oxford Times)

Teenager tells Old Bailey she was "controlled" by men she had sex with

5:38pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Ben Wilkinson, Crime Reporter. Call me on (01865) 425427

A TEENAGE girl has insisted she was "controlled" by the men she had sex with.

The 16-year-old witness in the Oxford child exploitation trial finished her evidence at the Old Bailey this afternoon as she was cross-examined by defence barristers.

Known as Girl 5 as she cannot be named, she claims she had sex with four of the nine defendants between the ages of 12 and 14.

Grahame James, defending Bilal Ahmed, suggested his client had never had sex with Girl 5 but she denied this. And he denied his client had "control" over the teen as she suggested on Monday.

He said: "No adult controlled you did they? You didn't listen to a single adult around at this time.

"The police were permanently on the search for you and they would tell you what do you think you are doing?

"The school, care workers, your mother, you didn't listen to any of them did you? They had no control over you at all did they?

"But a man you met a few times in a flat had control over you is that what you are saying?"

She replied: "Yes."

He also suggested her memory had been "addled" by drink and drug abuse and her brain had "filled in the gaps".

James Mulholland, defending Zeeshan Ahmed, agreed his client had sex with her but he said he did not know she was underage. The court heard a friend told Ahmed how old she was and he refused to speak to her after that.

But the witness later said she had told him she was 14 before then.

Prosecutor Noel Lucas asked the witness what she had meant when she told the jury she felt she had to have sex with the men because they "controlled" her.

She said: "If they text me saying meet up I have to or they will hurt me."

She also said she had "no doubt" she had sex with the man she identified as "Shaks" - Bilal Ahmed.

The nine defendants deny all 51 counts totalling 79 charges.

The trial continues.

The accused all deny the charges. They are:
- Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies six rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Anjum Dogar, 31, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to rape and three of sexual activity with a child.
- Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, assault, conspiracy to assault, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
- Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to assault.
- Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies rape, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual activity with a child.