"WHY did you rape me? I hate you so much."

This was the tearful outburst made by an alleged sex abuse victim after she came face-to-face with the man accused of repeatedly raping her for more than 12 years.

Gordon Welsh, 69, a former miner, of Greenacres, Eggborough, near Selby, has pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of rape during nearly two decades of abuse.

His alleged victim was only 11 years old when the sex offences were supposed to have started. She later gave birth to his son. The complainant told York Crown Court yesterday that Welsh threatened to kill her with a shotgun and take their child away from her if she ever told anyone what was going on.

She broke down in tears while describing how he raped her on repeated occasions "at all times of the day" and in different locations, including a bedroom, car, and cornfield. The complainant said she was too frightened to speak out.

She told the court that after the first incident, she just carried on as normal as if nothing had happened.

"After that, whenever he wanted to touch me, he did it. He said if I told anyone he would kill me."

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said the complainant originally reported it to the police in December, 1993, but "never pursued it" after falling ill.

She made another statement to the police on April 15, 2006, and Welsh was later arrested and interviewed by police when he denied raping her.

"She (the complainant) felt that her main purpose in life was simply to service the defendant," Mr Bradshaw said.

At one point during yesterday's court proceedings, Judge Paul Hoffman warned Welsh to "remain passive" after he shook his head and appeared to snort at what was being said.

The alleged victim told the court she was still seeing a psychologist because of her alleged ordeal.

The case continues.