Sexually exploited girl, 14, 'passed between' Brierfield men

A 14-year-old girl was treated with "indignity and contempt" by a Lancashire drugs gang which sexually exploited her, a court has heard.

Burnley Crown Court heard she was passed between the men at a house in Brierfield in 2010.

Mohammed Imran Amjad, Haroon Mahmood, Mohammed Zishan Amjad and Mohammed Suleman Farooq, all of Brierfield, deny rape and sexual activity with a child.

Shiraz Afzal and Omar Mazafar, also of Brierfield, deny aiding rape.

Prosecutor Alaric Bassano told the court that Mr Imran Amjad bore the "greatest responsibility for the corruption and abuse of the victim".

The girl was being passed between the men to be used for their own sexual gratification ”

He said the girl told police the 25-year-old befriended her when she was 12 or 13 and had initially taken her for drives and given her a phone on which to contact her.

The court was told it was Mr Imran Amjad "who assisted, encouraged and incited others to rape and sexually assault this girl".

"Over a period of time he subdued her will and coerced her into submission," he said.

Mr Bassano said the teenager's mother had contacted police about Mr Imran Amjad in 2009, but her daughter had not made a complaint at the time.

He said after her daughter's behaviour deteriorated, she had also confronted the defendant and he had responded with "arrogance".

"When she advanced her accusation that he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with her, he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked away," he said.

"It is to be noted that he did not deny the allegation."

Mr Bassano said "a number of men were involved in this abuse, which involved planning and, on occasions, offenders acting together".

"The girl was groomed over a period of time and taken to a house in Brierfield [that] was used as a den, which young men attended and brought or invited girls and young women in order to drink alcohol, take drugs and engage in sex," he said.

"It was [here] where she was sexually assaulted and raped by several adult males.

"The girl was being passed between the men to be used for their own sexual gratification [and] was treated with indignity and contempt by them."

Mr Imran Amjad, 25, denied abducting a child, rape, engaging in sexual activity with a child, aiding and abetting rape, and witness intimidation.

Mr Mahmood, 22, and Mr Zishan Amjad, 24, denied rape and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Mr Farooq, 22, denied sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity with a child and witness intimidation.

Mr Afzal, 25, and Mr Mazafar, 21, denied aiding and abetting rape.

Mr Bassano said the girl had initially denied anything had happened to her in the house because she was "in the grips of Immy", but had later revealed details of the abuse in police interviews between June and October 2011.

He said she had also told officers of alleged threats made by Mr Imran Amjad, in which he said he would "make her family suffer" if she reported him.

He added she had said Mr Farooq had also "threatened to shoot her" if she continued to talk to police.

Mr Bassano said a number of mobile phones had been confiscated from the defendants after the teenager made her allegations.

He told the court that they had contained text messages which "demonstrate that Immy had considerable contact with the girl and he often spoke to her in sexually degrading terms".

"There were organised events in relation to drinking, drug taking and the procurement of females for sex and this included reference to the girl and to the Sackville Street house," he said.

"There are even some references to raping females."

The trial continues.