THE victim of an alleged sex assault tearfully told a court that she despises the man accused of carrying out the attack.

Giving evidence on the second day of the trial of Leonard Michael Young, the teenage girl told Durham Crown Court that she was shocked when the attack took place.

Under cross-examination by Mr Young’s barrister, Alexander Krikler, the girl said she was initially unsure what to do after Mr Young had indecently touched her, but said she later told her mother about the assault.

Mr Krikler said: “You told your mother at the time that you had been abused.

“I’m going to suggest you didn’t expect it to end up in court, giving evidence?”

Although she admitted that was the case, she said she was soon aware the case could go to court.

When she was asked in reexamination by Robin Turton, prosecuting, what she felt about the man responsible, the tearful girl replied: “I despise him.”

Mr Young, who is an environmental campaigner opposed to the dismantling of “ghost” ships in Hartlepool, denies a charge of sexually touching the girl.

The case is a retrial because a jury failed to reach a verdict in the original case at Teesside Crown Court, in September last year.

Mr Turton told the court that during the hearing in Teesside, Mr Young allegedly shouted at three witnesses in the court foyer.

“Pointing at the three people he was heard to shout: ‘I’m going to do you’,” Mr Turton told the court.

As a result of the publicity surrounding the case in Teesside, a second teenage girl came forward and claimed that Mr Young had sexually assaulted her twice.

As a result, he is now facing a total of six charges, three of sexual touching or sexual assault, relating to the two teenage girls, and three of intimidation, intending to pervert the course of justice, relating to the witnesses at the original hearing.

Mr Young, of Ventnor Avenue, Hartlepool, denies all six charges.

The case continues.