A MAN has gone on trial accused of a sex attack on a young girl that left her in pain.

Jason Lineker allegedly assaulted the child at a flat in Brighton.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported her experience after staff at her primary school talked about safeguarding in an assembly.

She reported the incident to her friends and mother, and said she was left in pain.

At Brighton Crown Court Lineker denies assault by penetration of a child under the age of 13.

He says the alleged incident never happened.

Judge Shani Barnes started the trial, and Lineker watched as a video recording of the girl’s claim was shown to the court.

The clean-shaven 33-year-old, who has tattoos on his neck and hand, wore a white shirt and blue chequered trousers and had a gold ring on his finger as he sat in the dock.

Jurors heard about how the girl had been sleeping on a sofa bed, but awoke to find Lineker getting in beside her.

She felt pain but because of the darkness was not sure how it had been caused.

Beverley Cripps, prosecuting, said: “It hurt her, but she did not know what to do or what to say because she was so young.

“She did not know if it was wrong, but thought it might be, but said she did want to be rude to Jason Lineker by screaming out. So she kept it to herself.”

The quietly spoken girl described the force which had been used against her to specialist police officers.

She said the next day Lineker said he had got into the “wrong bed” but she told officers: “He could probably clearly see that I was in bed.”

“In the morning he acted as if nothing had happened,” the girl said. “I felt a bit sad, a bit angry. I knew what had happened physically, but not mentally. I was a bit confused. I didn’t know if it was right or wrong. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but it was.”

Sensitive

Judge Shani Barnes warned the jury of eight men and four women that it was a sensitive case.

She said: “To try a man from the community on such a serious charge it is absolutely essential that you try this case on the proper admissible evidence in this courtroom.

“You cannot deal with this case in an emotional, biased or sympathetic manner. We insist you try this defendant on the calm analysis of the evidence.”

Lineker, formerly of Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, was represented by barrister Harry MacDonald.

He denies the charge, the trial continues this week.