The woman was with Mary-Ann Leneghan when she was killed

The 19-year-old and her 16-year-old friend Mary-Ann Leneghan were tortured before Mary-Ann was stabbed to death.

The woman told Reading Crown Court that she had called her boyfriend during the ordeal in May last year but had not told him what was going on.

Six men are charged with murder, rape, attempted murder, kidnap, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial has already heard how the two girls were bundled into the boot of a car, taken to a hotel room in Reading to be "tortured" and eventually taken to a nearby park where Mary-Ann was murdered.

'Told what to say'

Mary-Ann was found stabbed to death in Reading's Prospect Park on the morning of 7 May.

On her third day in the witness box on Monday, Mary-Ann's friend told the jury that as the pair were being walked into the hotel room, she did not cry out for help when someone might have heard.

Stephen Solley QC, defending 19-year-old Michael Johnson of Southfields, south-west London - whom the prosecution says stabbed Mary-Ann - asked why she had not screamed out.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court: "Because I was scared."

The jury heard that during her ordeal she was given a telephone and ordered to call someone.

She said she had managed to get through to her boyfriend but gave him no idea that she was being tortured.

Charges denied

Mr Solley said: "Why didn't you, if what you are saying is true about the events up to that time, why didn't you take the opportunity to say something to your boyfriend to help you?"

The woman replied: "Because I was being told what to say."

Mr Solley went on to suggest that she had not told her boyfriend "one per cent of the truth" of what had taken place for reasons other than fear.

In the dock alongside Mr Johnson are Jamaile and Joshua Morally, 22 and 23, of Balham, south London; Llewellyn Adams, 24, of Balham; 20-year-old Adrian Thomas, of Battersea; and 18-year-old Indrit Krasniqui, of Chiswick.

Joshua Morally admits two counts of kidnap but denies murder, attempted murder, rape and GBH with intent.

The others deny all the charges.