A BRIERFIELD man who tried to scupper a major sex abuse trial by cajoling the teenage victim into writing a retraction letter has been jailed for four years.

Qasim Hussain took the girl from Brierfield to Bradford to pen the bogus letter, shortly before she was due to give evidence of being abused at an East Lancashire property.

The ‘respectable’ family of the 20-year-old were left devastated to discover what Hussain had become embroiled in, Preston Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Amanda Johnson said police also raided the family home in Townley Street, Brierfield, at the end of May 2012, discovering six wraps of cocaine in an outhouse and three sets of digital scales, one smeared with traces of the drug.

The court heard Hussain also tried to con the authorities while on bail in separate criminal proceedings.

He claimed he needed to return to Brierfield while a bail address in Bolton was being renovated. But enquiries made with his landlord exposed this as lies.

Hussain, formerly of Townley Street, but later of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in relation to the girl after a Burnley Crown Court trial.

He admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply and the further charge of perverting the course of justice.

Mark Stuart, defending, said: “His family has never been to court before and the cannot believe that a boy of theirs who has been brought up properly has done the things he has done.”

Sentencing judge Jonathan Gibson was given reference letters from two councillors and a local youth worker.

Jailing him, the judge said: “You were convicted by the jury of an extremely serious perverting the course of justice offence.”

Six men were originally on trial for abusing the girl, then aged 12, in Brierfield but five men walked free after the girl changed her statement.

Mohammed Imran Amjad, 26, of Halifax Road, Brierfield, was jailed for four years and three months earlier this year after admitting to child abduction and sexual activity charges relating to the girl.

His brother, Furqan Amjad, 23, also of Halifax Road, was imprisoned for 15 months after admitting to perverting the course of justice. He was said to have bombarded the youngster with 350 text messages.