November 2015 Bully who savagely attacked a schoolgirl A bully who savagely attacked a schoolgirl in a bid to stop her from making sexual offence allegations against him has been given a eight-month prison sentence, but was released immediately because of time spent on remand Liam Forward, of Newbridge, had been charged with five counts of sexual activity with a child when he attacked the victim at Blackwood bus station on June 22 this year. Forward, 18, pleaded guilty to the five counts of sexual activity as well as a further count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The victim first revealed the allegations on January 1 this year. The court heard how in June this year Forward became angry while trying to convince the victim to drop some of the allegations against him at the bus station in Blackwood. He smashed a bottle of lager on the floor before repeatedly punching, kicking and stamping on her. He viciously kicked the schoolgirl to the face causing her to hit the back of her head on a wall and he also burnt her bus ticket, knowing she had no money to buy a new one. The victim managed to catch the attention of a friend nearby who helped her get away and phoned the police. When interviewed by police, Forward said he and the victim had been “play fighting”. Judge Crowther sentenced Forward to a total of eight months imprisonment, including four months for the sexual offences and four months for the assault. Forward had been remanded in custody since June 25 and so has already served his time in prison. Judge Crowther told Forward: “In interview you made full admissions. You were angry at the allegations and tried to dissuade her from giving evidence. “You hit her in a sustained and very unpleasant attack. “You turned on the complainant after she made the allegations. It was an abuse of your strength and your greater physical power.”