'˜No sentence is enough after what he did'

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told how she was forced to stand up in court three times and relive her ordeal after Joshua England denied raping her – and hopes nobody else will have to go through what she did.

He was found guilty of the offence at Preston Crown Court and another charge of sexual assault, relating to a separate incident involving a different victim.

The 19-year-old, of Saltcotes Place, Lytham, was sentenced to six years and six months in a young offenders’ institute at Preston Crown Court and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Speaking after the court hearing, his victim, who met her abuser through friends and had only known him a day before he raped her, said: “I’m disgusted by him. People need to know what he has done so he doesn’t do to anybody else what he did to me.

“It has been a very, very stressful time, especially because the court case was right after my exams.

“I had to give evidence three times.”

And her mother told The Gazette: “No sentence could ever be enough for what he did to my daughter.

“This has been ongoing for two years and it’s been pretty devastating.

“Three separate times my daughter was put up on the stand, and that’s a terrible thing for a young girl.

“Even the judge thought it was disgusting.”

She said her daughter was questioned by the prosecution and defence teams before being called back to the witness stand two further times by the defence.

“She’s been very, very strong,” she added.

“I think we can now move on with our lives.”

Her daughter added: “I can just try to move on. I’m not going to let it ruin my life, but it’s always going to be there.”

England was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender’s Register when he was sentenced on Friday.

Help at hand

Help is available online for people who have been raped. Visit www rapecrisis.org.uk