A WOMAN wept as she told a jury how she was raped, groomed and sexually abused as a young girl.

The woman, who cannot be identified, gave evidence behind a screen about the abuse she says she suffered in Worcester in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Michael Daniel, aged 67, of Newtown Road, Worcester, denies one rape of a child, six indecent assaults and two gross indecencies with a child at his trial at Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

The complainant, aged between eight and 12 at the time, said Daniel pointed at his groin and gave her a 'weird smile'. She described how on Boxing Day he asked her to perform a handstand at a house in Dines Green in Worcester, put her hand on his crotch and showed her his penis. Afterwards she remembered watching TV. "The Beatles were singing 'Help' of all things. I wanted help but I couldn't say anything. Nothing came out. I felt disgusting" she said.

The woman also described how Daniel sexually assaulted her in his Hillman Imp car in a Worcester lay-by, raping her and causing her 'terrible pain'.

She said he sexually assaulted her in a bed and on another occasion asked to perform a handstand while he masturbated. The witness said he made her perform oral sex on him in his car and raped her in a bed.

"He raped me. I screamed and all the air came out of me" she said.

The woman threatened to tell her family what Daniel had done.

"He said nobody would believe me. He was a grown up" she said.

After the alleged rape she described how she pushed him through a window and ran home.

Simon Phillips, prosecuting, said Daniel was convicted of burglary with intent to commit rape in June 1974 and sent to prison. However, the woman said she knew Daniel had been in trouble with police but not what for.

Jason Aris, defending, asked why she had not revealed all the allegations when she first contacted police in February 2016.

"That isn't the way flashbacks work unfortunately" she replied.

She said at the age of 10 she was 'suicidal' but Aris suggested she had been 'fixated' on Daniel and had 'idolised' him but she denied this.

Mr Aris said: "Nothing sexual or otherwise that was inappropriate took place between you and Michael Daniel. What do you say to that?"

She said: "Everything I have said that happened to me is true."

He asked her why it took 43 years for her to come forward and she replied: "I needed help. I needed counselling to be strong enough to do this."

The trial continues.