A MARTIAL arts instructor who groomed and had sex with a 15-year-old girl in care, giving her so much cocaine her septum was damaged, has been jailed for 13 years.

Manchester Crown Court was told how Martin Yankey, then 34, would take the girl from a children’s home to exploit her.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was often reported missing from the home, when she had been with Yankey, who used to run martial arts classes at schools in Blackburn and Darwen.

Yankey, now 37, of Firs Road, Over Hulton, groomed his victim between February and May 2018 at his then-home in Atherton.

The care home often reported her missing and police visited Yankey’s home on April 13 2018, where taxi drivers had reported taking her.

Prosecutor Rachel Shenton said Yankey denied knowing the girl to police.

Officers went back on May 1 and 5 and he was told she was missing from home. Police again visited on May 5 and this time an officer showed the defendant pictures of her. Ms Shenton said: “He was told she was 15 and was missing from a children’s home. He was warned that if she was found in his home, he could be arrested for child abduction”.

The court heard that due to the amount of times she went missing she went to live with foster carers. But on May 18 she left her foster carers and got into a white Range Rover, which sped away.

Yankey’s home was visited again and he complained about the repeated searches. The girl was found hiding in a kitchen cupboard and he was arrested.

The victim told police she would often go to his home, where “they drank alcohol and he gave her cocaine”.

She was given so much of the drug it damaged her septum in her nose, the court heard.

She believed after a few visits that they were in a relationship and would visit regularly as he would tell her he “loved her”.

Ms Shenton said that was part of grooming the victim, who was particularly vulnerable. Yankey told police he believed the victim was 17 and denied their relationship was sexual.

A statement from the victim said: “I was given drink and drugs and suffered extreme sexual abuse. I started showering excessive amounts and self-harming, I tried to make sense of it but I couldn’t.”

The court heard she has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety and had tried to take her own life.

Yankey admitted to sexual activity with a child, abduction and possession of indecent images of a child.

He was also given an indefinite restraining order, protecting his victim, and a sexual harm prevention order.

Defending Yankey, Jo Morris said that he was now in a committed relationship and he should be given credit for entering guilty pleas.

Ms Morris also said Yankey had been diagnosed with psychosis and epilepsy in 2019 and had not been making sensible decisions at the time.

Judge Hilary Manley branded Yankey a devious and selfish man.

She said: “You exploited a 15-year-old who was vulnerable.

“You were more than twice her age and spent years working with young people. You would have had to have been well aware of child safeguarding issues.

“You gave her so much cocaine her it damaged her septum and gave her a lot of alcohol.

“You executed classic methods of grooming, being loving and making her feel like an adult.

“You are a devious and selfish man.

“She doesn’t feel she will ever recover and has tried to take her own life.

“You have shown no remorse and have no real idea the damage you have done.

“It is interesting and disturbing that your latest partner is 20, it’s not illegal but there is a significant age gap again.”