Partner of grandmother of teenage girl on trial at Derry Crown Court on sex charges

The partner of the grandmother of a teenage girl has gone on trial at Derry Crown Court on sex charges.
The man denies six charges of indecently assaulting the girl and six charges of sexual activity with her in County Derry over three years starting in September 2007 when the girl was 13.
A prosecuting barrister said the man used to run the girl to school.
On the first occasion he kissed her on the lips as she was about to get out of his car and touched her on the chest.
The Court was told that similar incidents occurred in the car, in the grandmothers house, in the girl’s own home and in an alleyway where the man would park his car beside the grandmother’s house.
The jury was told that the girl became concerned for her younger sister and also she became ‘stressed and angry and felt isolated’.
The girl is said to have began self harming and when a teacher noticed this she contacted the child’s mother and the girl made her allegations.
When the man was question about the alleged offences he denied them and said the family got on well together.
He told police that he thought the child was jealous of the attention her siblings were getting.
The trial continues.