Mother 'saw coach and girl naked'

The tennis coach denies sexually assaulting the girl from Merseyside

A mother has spoken of the moment she alleges she found her 13-year-old daughter having sex with the girl's tennis coach.

Former tennis professional Claire Lyte, 29, is accused of five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Miss Lyte, of Shirley, Solihull in the West Midlands, has denied the charges.

The girl's mother told Liverpool Crown Court she returned home early from a party in October 2005 to find the pair naked in bed together.

The mother, who cannot be identified, said: "I walked into the room and saw my daughter and Claire naked on the bed.

"I was in complete shock and I screamed and they became aware that I was there.

In hindsight I would have done a lot differently Girl's mother

"My daughter jumped up and ran off and Claire pulled the bed sheet over her head.

"I was screaming at Claire, 'Get out, what have you done, what have you done to my child, you are nothing but a paedophile'.

"They came downstairs dressed and my daughter sat down in a chair and curled into a ball, Claire sat with her head in her hands."

After talking with Miss Lyte the mother took her daughter back to the party she had earlier come from.

'Consumed'

David Mason, defending suggested to the jury that the incident never took place and was fabricated by the mother who was upset her daughter's tennis career was coming to an end.

Mr Mason repeatedly asked the girl's mother why she had not thrown Miss Lyte out of the house and away from the girl - instead she returned to the party.

"If it happened the way you say it happened, you would have informed the LTA or the police," he added.

The girl's mother said: "In hindsight I would have done a lot differently.

"I would have gone straight to the police, but I would have lost my daughter, she was consumed by this person."

The girl, who was coached by Miss Lyte at The Lawn Tennis Association Academy in Loughborough, admitted she had initially lied to police telling them their sexual encounter was a one-off.

On Tuesday the court also heard Miss Lyte, named Young Coach of the Year in 2001, had received an official warning by bosses at the tennis academy about her close relationship with the girl.

The case continues.