A FAMILY attacked a woman “as part of a team” and left her maliciously wounded, a court heard.

The alleged attack in Kearsley happened after the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was seen in the Church Hotel pub in Church Road, with her partner, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Mr Alex Leach, prosecuting, said the woman returned to a nearby flat and a short-time later Rose Conway, aged 36, used a hammer to smash a glass door panel to get in.

The court heard the woman was attacked by five people inside the flat. She remembered her face bleeding and an ambulance arriving.

The jury of seven women and five men heard the alleged attack on January 24 followed a catalogue of alleged incidents relating to Paul Whittle and the woman.

He has previously admitted three counts of touching her sexually when she was aged under 16.

The court was told Whittle, aged 26, of Chorley Old Road, Bolton, is alleged to have sexually assaulted the woman with a golf club over clothing in 2010.

He is also alleged to have raped her in in December, 2011, after she barricaded herself into a room away from him.

Mr Leach said: “She pleaded with him to stop, she held a pillow over her head so she did not have to look at him. She cried herself to sleep.”

Whittle is also charged with a further rape in 2012 and causing her actual bodily harm during an incident in January, 2008.

Whittle along with Stuart Whittle, aged 30, of Westwood Close, Farnworth, Rose Conway, of Mount Pleasant, Middleton, Chantelle Conway, aged 18, of Masefield Drive, Farnworth, and Julie Conway, aged 36, of McKean Street, Burnden, all deny maliciously wounding the woman and possessing a hammer and a crowbar in connection with the incident on January 24.

The case continues.