'My childhood was taken from me. I just wanted to die'

A paedophile and 'predator' repeatedly sexually abused a girl before 'silencing her through fear', a court has heard. Dad-of-three Liam Brannan's crimes and sickening campaign of abuse came to light after a police investigation.

On Monday, (November 11), Liverpool Crown Court heard how Brannan's assaults began with him rubbing his foot on the complainant's leg before grabbing her breasts over clothing. The 33-year-old, formerly of Antonio Street in Bootle, further assaulted her in his car by touching her thigh while giving her lifts and while the two were collecting food together.

Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, described how he went on to force the girl to perform oral sex upon him. When she 'protested', Brannan told her: "No, you're doing it. You can't just do it and then stop."

READ MORE 'Everything went into chaos': Horror on Ryanair flight to Manchester as passenger dies

He then attempted to have sex with the youngster and only relented when she informed him that she was on her period. But the pervert then raped her on a subsequent occasion after 'telling her she had no choice', reports the ECHO.

The victim eventually 'confessed to her family' during 2022. Brannan was arrested three days later, but 'denied all the allegations' when he was interviewed by the police.

In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, the complainant said: "I'm just not who I was before. What happened to me forced me to grow up.

"I was a child who should have been able to do what children do. Instead, I am left trying to understand what has happened to me. My childhood was taken from me. I know I'm not the person I was.

"I just wanted to die. One day, holding all of this in got too much for me. I finally got the courage to