A woman has told a court that she wanted to lock up two girls to stop them going out with a 19-year-old woman accused of luring them to a derelict Accrington house so that they could be raped.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she tried to convince the girls not to go with Stephanie Knight.

She told Burnley crown court that she warned Knight that if anything happened to them she would go to the police.

Stephanie Knight of Preston New Road, Blackburn and three co-defendants deny conspiracy to rape.

The court was told Knight, of Preston New Road, Blackburn had been heard on the phone by the woman saying ‘I’ve got them’ about the two  girls.

The woman told the court: “I had a feeling something wasn’t right.

“I wish I could have prevented it, I wish I could have locked them inside.

“I said to Stephanie you shouldn’t be taking them and if anything happens I will be going to the police.”

The prosecution claims that Knight had lured the girls out with the promise of a night out clubbing, but they were instead picked up, given vodka and taken to a house in Accrington before being sexually assaulted by three men.

It was claimed that inside the house one of the girls was raped by Shahid Hussain, Amjad Hussain and Tanveer Butt.

The hearing was told that Knight threatened to attack the second girl in a back alley and held a knife to her throat when she refused to perform sex acts on any of the men and kicked her out of the house.

Both alleged victims are said to have been sexually assaulted by Amjad Hussain as he took them home in a locked car.

Shahid Hussain, of Drake Street, Tanveer Butt, of St Albans Street, both Rochdale, Amjad Hussain, of Sharples Street, Accrington, and Knight, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, all deny two counts of conspiracy to rape, between December 4 and December 7, 2009.

Butt also pleads not guilty to three charges of rape against the first girl and aiding and abetting Shahid Hussain to rape her.

Knight also denies aiding and abetting rape. Shahid Hussain also pleads not guilty to three counts of rape against the first girl and Amjad Hussain also denies two allegations of raping the girl, and rape and sexual assault on the second girl.

Proceeding