A BRAVE victim of childhood sexual abuse today urged other people to bring their attackers to court after winning her fight for justice.

The Weymouth woman told how farmer Michael Grant Wheadon ruined her childhood when he subjected her to a seven-year ordeal of indecent assaults when she was a young girl.

She spoke out after watching the 56-year-old man being found guilty of indecent assault and inciting indecency at the end of a three-day trial at Dorchester Crown Court.

Now the 22-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has praised police and victim support staff but has also urged other victims to come forward as she rebuilds her life.

She said: "People like him ruin lives and think they have got away with it for years.

"I blamed myself for what happened. It took me a long time to come to terms with it, realise that it wasn't my fault and that I was not to blame.

"But people have to find the strength to come forward. At the time he was laughing and I was suffering. Now he's suffering."

She added: "A year ago I wouldn't have been able to stand in the witness box.

"I would have been a quivering wreck. I'm stronger now and was able to go through with it."

Wheadon, of Knights in the Bottom, Chickerell, near Weymouth, was found guilty on four counts of indecent assault and three of inciting a girl to commit acts of indecency with him. But the jury also returned not guilty verdicts on one count of inciting indecency as well as two counts of indecent assault and were discharged from delivering verdicts on two identical charges.

Now Wheadon must wait until the new year to hear of his fate after Judge John Beashel ordered pre-

sentence reports and warned him he was going to jail.

The woman, who has jobs in Weymouth and Dorchester, said the support of police child protection unit officers, her family, friends, work mates and a witness service volunteer helped her through.

She said: "It is a daunting thing to do. When you are standing in the witness box on show everyone is looking at you.

"It was very scary but you can only be honest and tell the truth. It took me a year to come to terms with the prospect of going to court, but I'm a stronger person now."

She wrote to Wheadon to tell him she realised what he had done over a seven-year period from when she was aged seven was 'very wrong' before seeking counselling with the help of an uncle.

She went to the police after seeing a storyline on Coronation Street involving a character called Sarah Louise. The woman said: "I felt I never had a case because he never actually raped me.

"It played on my mind until I saw an episode involving Sarah Louise when she went to a house and her parents came to a rescue her.

"I wish someone had rescued me. It was eating me up inside and I realised I needed to do something."

She sat by her grandfather's grave while waiting for the verdicts instead of sitting in court, in case Wheadon walked free.

"I had to mentally prepare myself for the worst if it did happen but it was a huge relief when he was found guilty. It will help me put it all behind me.

"I never had a childhood and did the things other girls did growing up because of him."

Now she has vowed to beat the trauma of her childhood and rebuild her life: "I wish I could start my life over again, but I am looking ahead.

"I will make sure I am there for when he is sentenced."

Anyone who would like to contact the police child protection unit can telephone the following numbers: (01305) 226460 or 226468.