The partner of former England footballer Adam Johnson has confirmed the pair have split up – but told a court they will remain friends.
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Mr Pownall responded by admitting Johnson was a hypocrite, dishonourable and immature – but accused the schoolgirl of lying too.
She said despite her raising suspicions over the 28-year-old’s infidelity over many months, Johnson never admitted being unfaithful until she grilled him for 90 minutes following his arrest on March 2 last year over alleged sexual activity with a child.
Giving her closing speech on the 11th day of the trial at Bradford Crown Court, she told jurors they should see through his “transparent cloak of rectitude” to the “core of his deceit and lies”.
Kate Blackwell QC, prosecuting, started her cross-examination of Miss Flounders by asking her about her contention that Johnson had “told you everything” when he returned from the police station. Grooming in its purest form’.
She added: “He’s a man who has lied, and lied, and lied again”.
Johnson’s defence barrister, Orlando Pownall QC, will give his closing speech this afternoon.
The jury of eight women and four men have heard that the former winger met with management at Sunderland Football Club and he made it quite clear to chief executive Margaret Byrne that he was guilty of one offence.
“Her reputation is something that matters a great deal to her”, Mr Pownall say.
Flounders said they had split but were remaining good friends though she saw no future in the relationship.
Asked how many there were, she said: “Quite a few”.
To virtually all the questions, Miss Flounders agreed that he had not told her, although she said Johnson had mentioned he had asked for a “thank you kiss”.
“He just said he was being stupid”, she told the court.
The footballer, who denies two counts of sexual activity with a child, has previously pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one charge of grooming.
Miss Flounders was then pressed into speaking about intimate details of their relationship.
Asked why she had stayed with the player after his arrest, she told the jury: “Because he was honest with me and I knew he was telling the truth”.
She said it was “human nature to want to go further”.
However, Johnson told the jury that Sunderland striker Fletcher – who is now on loan at Marseille – was no longer willing to appear.
She said: “She did not have sinister or devious intent in bringing this case to court”.
Flounders was also questioned over Johnson’s pubic hair which has become a contentious issue.
Turning to the teenager’s description of Johnson as having “no pubes”, Miss Blackwell said the footballer trimmed his nether region and it was entirely plausible a teenager would use this description of him.
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He denies two further counts of sexual activity with a child.
