Ex team-mates ‘shun Johnson over sex trial’
They took a step back, he says
ENGLAND footballer Adam Johnson told yesterday how he had been shunned by former team- mates at Sunderland after he admitted child sex charges.
The Premier League side’s striker Steven Fletcher was due to give evidence for the defence, Bradford crown court heard.
But when asked by defence barrister Orlando Pownall QC if players were still planning to give evidence, Johnson replied: “No, I don’t think they are.”
Johnson was sacked by Sunderland on February 11, a day after pleading guilty to grooming and sexual activity with a girl of 15. He denies two more serious allegations of sexual activity.
Johnson – who was under crossexamination for a second day – said that since his guilty pleas Sunderland players had “taken a step back”.
He fought back tears after being shown a photo of himself with daughter Ayla shortly after her birth on January 8 last
I showed a complete lack of integrity. I feel awful about what I did to everyone.
ADAM JOHNSON DURING CROSS-EXAMINATION YESTERDAY year. Johnson said he had been a “bad person” to partner of five years Stacey Flounders, 26, who was at court yesterday.
Johnson asked her to “stop being paranoid” about messages on his mobile phone – within seconds of texting his schoolgirl victim about their sexual activity. He told the jury that he “showed a complete lack of integrity” towards Ms Flounders. Asked by Mr Pownall to tell the jury how he felt now, Johnson said: “I feel awful about what I did to everyone.”